The New King
by the-zombie-cat
Summary: With a rise of power comes new responsibility, harder choices, and more blame to take. Decisions are best made carefully. My third installment to my Warcraft series.
1. A Proposition

**Welcome again to my WoW induced insanity :) I'm having far too much fun doing this, I know. But, hopefully, it's equally as fun for you to read :D ok yea yea yea ill get on with it.' **

**WEED cause it always existed**

A sudden, loud racket shook the Black temple with shouts, sword clashes, and snarls, causing Silver to cats a look of concern to Illidan. He said nothing, simply rose and started for the commotion, Silver tagging along behind in curiosity. Illidan let out a low snarl as soon as he could clearly see what all the commotion was about. Death Knights. Lots of them.

The temple's guardians were attempting wildly to fight them off, though the knights seemed only to be holding their ground. As if they weren't attempting to cause any real harm. A bit curious, himself, Illidan called off the guards, who reluctantly obeyed. The Death Knights stopped, as well, simply looking up to Illidan and Silver on the balcony a story above. Then, drawn by an investigative nature, a short, young night elf with snow white eyes and bright green eyes came bolting down the stairs. A shock of fear ran through Silver's heart as the knights took stance and bared their weapons, having the impression the small girl was sent out as a distraction for something much more.

"Hey!" Came a familiar growl, and the death knights immediately backed down as the Lich King stepped forward, looking to the night elf as she looked up at him in wonder. "Where's your father?" The girl took a moment, glancing back to Silver for a brief moment.

"Upstairs." She replied.

"Will you take me to see him?" He asked. She nodded, then turned and began up the stairs, the King following after ordering the knights to stay put. The night elf lead him up the long staircase, down a few hallways, and to a large door without a word. She gave a knock, then pushed it open. Drakkon stood near a balcony, raising a brow to his daughter as she peeked in.

"Daddy, there's a man here to see you." She said, then pushed the door open further. There was no hiding the surprise Drakkon's face when he saw his father standing in the doorway. Inside the Black Temple at all.

"What are you doing here?" Drakkon asked after his initial moment of shock.

"I came to talk to you, obviously." The King said as he stepped into the room and moved past Drakkon to stand on the balcony. Drakkon took a moment to think, then looked to his daughter.

"Valeah, why don't you go sit with Aunt Silver for a while, ok?" Valeah, after another curious glance to the King, nodded obediently and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Your mother is worried." The King said. Drakkon said nothing. He had already assumed this, considering he hadn't been back to the citadel in nearly 7 years.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." The King said, earning a glance from Drakkon.

"Alright.. But she doesn't have to know that." He sighed.

"You know she wouldn't want you living this way." The King said. Drakkon flinched. They weren't talking about his mother anymore. "And Valeah."

"Val is fine." Drakkon defended. "If you came here to criticize the way I'm raising-"

"I didn't." The King interrupted. "I came here to bring you back to the Citadel."

"I don't want to go back."

"It's been 8 years."

"I _can't_ go back." Drakkon corrected himself. "I would rather be as far away as possible. Hence living in another realm." They stood for a while in silence, looking over the balcony at the charred land below. What broke the silence was Drakkon's curiosity."When you cut out your heart.. It was because of Proudmoore, right?" Drakkon asked cautiously, looking to the King. He stood still for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Did it help?"

"No." The King spoke. "If anything, it got worse." Drakkon said nothing, only returned his gaze over the balcony. "Enough of this. You need to come back with me."

"And why is it so important that I come back _now_?" He sighed.

"Because it's too difficult to induct a new king if he isn't present." At the King's answer, Drakkon immediately looked over to him.

"..What?"

"You heard me." The King said. "Though, if you're sure you _can't_ return, I'm sure Wolfe-"

"No!" Drakkon interrupted, standing straight. "I'll.. Are you serious?" The King nodded. "I'll go get Val and-" Drakkon began as he headed for the door.

"Drakkonus." The King spoke, earning his son's attention. "This is a big responsibility. You're sure you want this?"

"I doubt if I've ever wanted anything more." Drakkon said.

"Get Valeah, say goodbye to your sister, and meet me out front." The King instructed, and Drakkon nodded.

Drakkon didn't have much to gather. In fact, he had nothing, it was simply a few things of Valeah's. Thankfully, the girl wasn't very materialistic and it took only minutes to collect her things into a bag, sling it over his shoulder, and head out the door. Silver and Illidan hadn't moved from their original places when the death knights had barged in, even though they were gone from the temple, then. Silver, however, had crouched down to Valeah's level as they spoke. When the three noticed Drakkon approaching, they gave him their attention.

"That was your dad?" Valeah spoke up first, and Drakkon nodded. At this, Valeah gave a quick look to Silver, as if surprised to find out she hadn't lied.

"What's going on?" Silver asked.

"Val and I are going back to the Citadel." Drakkon announced, and Valeah's shocked look turned back to her father.

"We're leaving?" She gasped. "When?"

"Now."

"But.." Valeah paused. "I can come back to visit, right?" She asked, looking from her father, to Silver, then to Illidan. "Please?"

"Of course you can." Illidan nodded, and a smile graced the young Night Elf's face.

"So.. Wait.." Silver began. "I thought you didn't want to go back."

"I didn't. But things have changed." Drakkon said. "Apperantly, I'm going to be the new king."

"What?" Silver rose both brows in shock. "That's what dad said?" Drakkon nodded.

"We've got to get going." Drakkon said. "Once I am king, you're welcome at the Citadel whenever you'd like. Both of you." Silver smiled with a nod, then suddenly rushed foreward and wrapped her arms around her brother in a tight hug.

"Oh, I'll miss you!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah.." Drakkon struggled, giving her a pat on the back. "Alright.. Silver..." She didn't let go. "Silver.." He tried. "Alright, enough, Silver. You know how I feel about this crap." At this, Silver chuckled and finally released him.

"Sorry." She smiled.

"Yeah, well... See you later. Come on, Val." He motioned for Valeah to follow as he turned and began down the staircase. After a quick hug for her aunt and uncle, she followed after. As they left the temple, they were met by a large gathering of death knights. Apparently, the King had been expecting more of a fight. As he saw them approaching, he lifted his hand to summon a large, smokey and swirling death gate back to the Citadel that the knights began to file through quite gladly. Valeah was the only one to hesitate, and grabbed a hold of Drakkon's hand before going through with him.

"Oh, Drakkon, honey!" Nyteshayde's voice erupted as she bolted forward and pulling him into a somewhat possessive hug.

"Hey, mum." Drakkon said. Surprisingly enough, she was more understanding than Silver had been, and released him much quicker.

"How have you been? Are you alright?" She tried.

"I'm fine." Drakkon nodded, and Nyteshayde's gaze fell to Valeah, who was gazing around the room in awe. Then, Nyteshayde bent down and hugged her, too. At this, Valeah quickly looked to her father in question. "This is your grandmother." He announced.

"Oh!" Valeah giggled, returning Nyteshayde's hug. "Hi!"

"So.." Drakkon said after a short while, gaining Nyteshayde's attention as she released Valeah. "You put him up to this, right?"

"Actually.." Nyteshayde began as she stood straight. "He's been talking about it for the past year. It took a few months to inform the council, make arrangements, and all that.. But it was completely his idea. Honestly, do you think I would be able to talk him into something like this?" She rose a brow. "He said you needed something to motivate you."

"Will you two still be in the Citadel?" Drakkon asked.

"We'll be around from time to time." She nodded. "But we'll be staying in.. Well, its rather like a floating stronghold."

"Drak?" Wolfe's voice rose from behind them as he approached. He was met by a slight glare from his brother. "I wasn't sure if you would actually come back."

"Shame I ruined your plans. " Drakkon muttered.

"No, no.. I.. Listen, I'm sorry for what I said about Jaimee..."

"What did he say about my mum?" Valeah spoke up, and Drakkon gave Wolfe a pointed look. Wolfe clearly struggled as he looked from Drakkon to Valeah.

"It was nothing, Val." Drakkon assured, gaining her attention. "It's in the past." He added, looking back to Wolfe, who gave a slight smile at Drakkon's subtle way of forgiving him. "This is your uncle Wolfe." Drakkon said to Valeah, who still looked a bit puzzled. She gave a slight wave, and Wolfe gave a nod back in greeting.

"Well, someone else was excited to see you." Wolfe said, motioning someone over.

"I'm glad you came back." Tonik said as she approached. "Congratulations, by the way. I know this is something you've been looking forward to."

"Am I related to her, too?" Valeah asked.

"No, I'm just an old friend of your dad's." Tonik answered with a small smile. "You look a lot like your mum. She was a very beautiful woman, so that's a compliment." Tonik winked, and Valeah smiled.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Valeah." Nyteshayde said, catching her attention. "Would you like me to show you your new room? It's a nice big one." Valeah nodded eagerly, taking Nyteshayde's hand as the two heded off down the hallway.

"So, how are you?" Tonik tried.

"Better then I have been, I suppose." Drakkon shrugged.

"We should get going. Dad sent me to bring you to his study." Wolfe said.

"Oh, I'll see you around, then." Tonik said, and Drakkon gave a nod before heading out of the room.

"It's about time." The King muttered as Wolfe and Drakkon entered the study. Wolfe leisurely plopped himself into a chair, and Drakkon stood. "You've got a few things to sort out. Council seats, department heads.. The works."

"I thought he would just kind of.. Be in charge of everything." Wolfe jumped in, raising a brow.

"This is why he chose me instead of you." Drakkon teased, and Wolfe narrowed his eyes.

"Wolfe, if you're going to be a distraction you can leave." The King said.

"I'll be good." Wolfe sighed, resting back in the chair.

"First of all, the most important job, head of army and security." The King continued with business, and Wolfe sat up in his chair again, casting a hopeful smile to Drakkon.

"You expect me to put my safety in your hands?" Drakkon asked, and Wolfe gave a confident nod.

"Out." The King ordered, and Wolfe gave a sigh as he stood and left the room. After the door closed, the King looked back to Drakkon for an answer.

"Wolfe can have it." He said, and a cheer sounded from the hall outside.

"Top knight?"

"I haven't been here for a while.." Drakkon struggled. "Tonik" He decided.

"Head of fleshwerks."

"Can that be me?" The King shook his head no. "Alright.. Putricide can keep it, then." They continued the list until all spots had been filled and all council chairs elected. Finally, after meeting with the council, visiting various bases, and after he'd been informed of current situations, threats, and advantages, he was given the throne and, along with it, Frostmourne. Interestingly enough it seemed the one thing that his father had difficulty parting with, and had saved for last. With everything in order, Arthas and Nyteshayde retreated to the floating base outside the Citadel and everything rested on Drakkon. It was a bit much to take in at once, and he simply sat in the study, his study, for a while. Valeah had gone with Nyteshayde to visit and explore, Wolfe was enjoying his new power, having the knights run grueling drills, and he was alone. A knock sounded at the door that snapped him out of his thoughts, and he was thrown into the reality that at any moment, a knock at the door could mean the fate of the Citadel rested in his decision.

"..Yes?" He asked cautiously. He breathed a sigh of relief when it was Tonik who entered. The look on her face told him that she could hear the stress in his voice, and therefore he allowed himself to look as overwhelmed as he felt, at that moment.

"Are you alright?" She asked, taking a seat across from him.

"Have you come to inform me that something is under attack, someone is dead, or something is about to be under attack or dead?" He asked.

"No." She replied, raising a brow.

"Then I'm fine."

"Don't tell me all the new power is scaring you? You arent afraid of anything."

"I'm not afraid." He assured. "Stressed, overwhelmed... those are the words you might be looking for."

"You'll do fine." She smiled. "You've pretty much trained for this your entire life. Relax." He gave her a look as if to say her suggestion was impossible, and she snickered. Then, a look of realization came over her and she rummaged through the small bag she had tied to her belt. From it, she produced a pipe and bag of crushed herbs. "I discovered this while I was in Sholozar basin." She announced. "I promise it'll calm you down." She untied the bag and packed the pipe with the herbs before handing it to him. He gave her a slightly suspicious look, then Produced a small fire spell to light it. He had smoked tobacco before, and prepared himself for something similar. As soon as he took his first puff, however, his lungs contracted with involuntary coughing and he sat up in his chair.

"What the hell!" He shouted in between coughs. Tonik was beside herself with laughter, and took the pipe before Drakkon could drop it, taking her own hit.

"Packs quite a kick, I know." She said, still laughing as Drakkon continued to cough. "It gets better. Here, want to try again?"

"Why would I want to try again?"He asked, looking at her as though she was insane.

"Trust me." Drakkon gave her a pointed look, and she shrugged it off. "Alright.. It will make you feel better though. Besides, if it was dangerous, I wouldn't be taking any now, would I?" She asked, taking another puff as if to prove her point, then holding the pipe out to him. After a moment of hesitation, he took it. He prepared himself, then took another hit, following Tonik's lead and holding it in his lungs for a bit before exhaling. He still had the urge to cough, but it wasn't nearly as bad as his unprepared, first puff had been. "See?" She smiled. "So, where have you been all this time?" She asked as Drakkon took another hit and handed the pipe back to her.

"Outlands." He answered. "With Silver."

"Were you doing alright out there? I mean, raising a kid on your own and all. Not that she didn't turn out to be a sweetheart, mind you."

"It was fine, for the most part." He nodded. "What about you? I hope you're still a good death knight because I appointed you their leader earlier." He said, taking the pipe back to draw a few more puffs. He felt more relaxed, for sure. A bit dizzy and slightly tired as well, though, in a good way.

"Really?" She asked, and he found himself slightly startled as he remembered she was still there.

"What is this?" He asked as he held out the pipe.

"Like I said, I'm not sure. It's nice though, right?" Drakkon gave a nod. "Thank you." She added. "For making me lead death knight." He nodded again. "I'm glad you're back. It's better when you're here." She glanced up at him. He was resting back in his chair, head down, looking as though he was about to fall asleep. With a smirk, she got to her feet and moved around the desk and behind his chair, bravely reaching out and rubbing his shoulders. He didn't stop her, and she continued her massage with a wider smile. He felt tense, despite the pipe they'd just smoked, and he gave a groan as she worked at his muscles, eventually moving forward to lean on the desk and allow her more room to work. Eventually, she coaxed him to sit back again and moved around to sit on his lap. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his as she ran a hand over his chest. As he slowly returned the kiss, she pressed against him, moving her hand to the side of his neck and using her other one to guide one of his to her waist. She broke the kiss to trail more over his jawbone and down his neck. It was then that Drakkon finally realized exactly what was happening, and moved Tonik off or him.

"You should leave." He said.

"But.." She struggled.

"Tonik. Now. " She didn't move, and Drakkon rose to his feet, taking her by the arm and leading her to the door. She quickly spun, however, to look at him.

"Drakkon, please.." She tried. "You know, somewhere inside, you want me to stay. If you didn't you wouldn't have kissed me back." She ran her hands over his chest, and he quickly snatched her by the wrists and held them, above her head, to the wall.

"I was delusional from whatever it was you just convinced me to smoke. Had I been in my right mind it wouldn't have happened and you know that." He said sternly.

"You mean, if you had been able to stop yourself." She corrected. "Alright, I'm sorry." She said, interrupting Drakkon as he was about to speak. "I'm not looking for a commitment, I'm definitely not trying to replace Jaimee.. I just thought... " She paused.

"You thought wrong." He said. "Do you not remember how this worked the first time around? Apparently, you can't do this without getting emotionally invested and, trust me, that is the very last thing I could ever want." She couldn't hide the disappointment she felt at hearing him say that. "It's something I never want to deal with ever again."

"And now I know that." She said, still trying. "I wont try to get anything more from you. I can handle it." He was silent, then, and she took the opportunity to close the gap between them with a kiss. Drakkon, however, quickly pulled away.

"If we're going to do this. I don't want any of that unnecessary bullshit." He said, letting her down. She gave a nod in understanding, and simply moved towards the bed, stripping off her top as she went. After a quick second to lock the door to the study, he followed.


	2. The First Attack

**After so long of referring to Arthas as simply 'the King' its getting difficult to train myself otherwise XD short chapter, this time. Simply because I don't want to have to explain to everyone individually how Drakkon lost his arm. Next chapter will be longer.**

They attacked, full force, in the dead of night. This was based of off a simply assumption that there would be less guards patrolling the halls. It was not taken into account, however, just how many death knights would be inside the Citadel. Drakkon had kept himself a secret as long as he could, though word had still gotten out. Once the rumor that there was a new, inexperienced Lich King ruling over the Icecrown, the Alliance leaders had banned together and pulled the forces of their armies. King Wrynn, bent on his mission to rid the world of the new Lich King as quickly as possible, lead a group of soldiers through the initial battle and into the Citadel.

Drakkon was awake at their point of attack. He had deliberately dwindled his sleep down to nearly nothing over the years. He was fully armored, wielding Frostmourne and commanding his knights from the first sight of them approaching. It wasn't long before Wrynn and his troop reached Drakkon. They fought their way through the Citadel, through doorways down halls, away from the main fight. It looked a bit like Drakkon was attempting to flee, though this was all part of the plan. Drakkon lured Wrynn onto a large walkway outside of the Citadel and, before the alliance soldiers could follow, a frostwyrm waiting from above was signaled to block the large doorway with a thick sheet of ice.

Drakkon and Wrynn fought on despite this, swords clashing, spells flying and hearts racing. It was a fight to the death, and both knew it. It only took a second's falter from Drakkon, however, for the King of Stormwind to seize his opportunity. Drakkon, in an attempt to save himself by blocking the attack, snarled in pain as he felt the blade hit his arm. It was the sound of steel clashing to the ground that made realization hit Drakkon. Wrynn hadn't just simply cut him, he had severed Drakkon's arm near the elbow, and it fall to the ground, Frostmourne still in it's grip. The sight made Drakkon'e stomache flip as he realized this left him completely powerless. He couldn't wield Frostmourne with one hand, let alone his left hand, and he wouldn't be able to cast his spells.

Wrynn didn't hesitate, he lurched forward, sword aimed and eyes blazing with victory. Just before Wrynn could reach Drakkon, however, a large ball of blue flame sped between them, knocking them both backwards. There was a crash as a frostwyrm landed in front of Drakkon and Arthas swiftly jumped from it's back, drawing his sword as he did so. He immediately swung at Wrynn, who, through the initial shock of seeing Arthas still alive, was barely able to block. Drakkon watched as they fought, before he felt the blood loss beginning to get to him. Thinking quickly, and knowing he would surely bleed to death, otherwise, he managed to create enough of a fire spell to crudely burn the wound closed. He grit his teeth and growled under his breath before a pained snarl sounded from the fight before him, gaining back his attention. Arthas had recovered Frostmourne and pierced Wrynn's armor, driving the blade straight through the King of Stormwind's chest. As Arthas withdrew it, he effectively pushed Wrynn over the edge of the walkway, sending him falling into the battle below. Then he turned, shattering the ice barrier with a powerful spell before leading Drakkon back inside and summoning the doctor to heal him correctly.

"With what's been done, here.." The doctor began, referring to the way Drakkon had tried to stop the bleeding. "It will not be possible to reattach the arm." Drakkon cursed under his breath, though he hadn't really thought it possible in the first place. For an undead, it was simply a stitching job, like he, himself, had done many times in fleshwerks. However, along with Drakkon's mortality, the risk of disease and infection was far to great.

"This is exactly why I told you to lie low for a while." Arthas said. "Any ghoul, construct, or death knight that falls can be easily replaced. _You_ can not."

"Wrynn rushed through the fight, there was nothing I could do.." Drakkon tried.

"You didn't have to do anything! They came here for one reason, to kill you. You and only you." He snarled. "They've impaired you, now. It won't take long for word of that to spread, and then you an expect a lot worse than what you've seen tonight!"

"I'll fix it."

"How do you expect to do that? Grow your damn arm back?"

"I'll think of something." Drakkon insisted.

"I should hope so.."


	3. Rogue Threat

The cool, Icecrown winds were harsh as they tore through the air at speeds nearly inconceivable. The drake beneath the rogue squawked in protest, but she urged it forward, determined. The wind itself cut out a lot of the noise around her, and the faint roars of frostwyrms, ghouls, and various terrifying and grotesque creatures that inhabited the lands, she knew, were not as far away as they sounded. She kept herself alert, though the blizzard was blinding and the cold was beginning to get to her. The storm was becoming far too wild, and she begrudgingly decided to land. However, she couldn't even tell which part of Icecrown she was in, let alone if it was safe to be on the ground. She swooped down to scan the base of the mountain nearby and landed her grateful drake on a secluded patch of ice and snow. The winds were significantly better with the mountain blocking it a bit, and she was able to lower her hood to grant a batter view of the area.

Her raven hair immediately began to whip around in the wind, and her sea green eyes scanned her surroundings carefully. As she turned to become more familiar with what lay behind her, she was immediately knocked to the ground by someone who had come running over the small, snowy hill.

"What's going on? Are you alright?" The rogue asked to the young night elf as she heaved herself from the snow and held out a helping hand. The night elf said nothing, only pointed quickly to the hill she had ran over. A group of horde were bounding through the snow after them, weapons drawn and eagerness on their faces. Adventurers. Why were they always so hell-bent on praying on the weak? Knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to take on all four of them at once, the rogue called to her drake, snatching up the night elf as she leapt onto its back and flew off. "What are you doing wandering around Icecrown like this? This is a very dangerous place!" The rogue called over the wind. The night elf stayed silent, watching as they left the horde behind. The, she laughed. A thrill filled, giddy laugh that made the rogue raise a brow.

"Thank you." The night elf finally said. "But you can let me down, now."

"Let you d... Are you insane? Where are your parents?"

"My dad will be here soon."

"Here? He knows you're wandering around and he doesn't care?"

"No. He hates it, actually... But you should really land before he sees you."

"Wh-" A snarl came from the sky above them, and the rogue quickly looked up. Though, the blinding snow was still blocking her vision.

"Listen, I don't want you to get hurt." The night elf rushed quickly, and the rogue looked back at her to see her smile had faded completely. "Watch out!" The night elf suddenly gasped. The rogue looked back in front of them in time to see a large, bone claw swiping through the air. That was all, however, as it knocked she and her drake from the sky.

"Hello?" A soft voice broke through the rogue's mind and quickly woke her. As her eyes shot open, she saw the night elf kneeling on a stone floor from behind thick iron bars. The rogue rose from the ground, eyes wide as she looked around. She was in a cold, dark cell, the only things accompanying her being a small bed of hay and a few bones. "It's alright." The night elf tried as she noticed the rogue's panic. "Here, I've got some food for you." At this, the elf carefully slid a tray of bread and water through a slit in the door. The rogue, however, wasn't interested.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"You're in the Citadel." The night elf answered openly.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Valeah Menethil. I'm awfully sorry about all of this. But, it could be worse. My dad was going to kill you before I told him you saved me." She added quickly, as though this would make up for the fact that the rogue was locked in a cage. "Whats your name?" Valeah asked.

"Tsage." The rogue answered after a short pause.

"Valeah." The call came from up a long set of stairs, and the night elf gave a quick glance behind her before offering a smile to the rogue.

"I'm sorry. I'll come back later so you don;t have to be down here all alone." Valeah said before getting to her feet and heading up the stairs.

She stayed, caged like an animal, for quite some time. She couldn't tell for certain, how many days had gone by, but it felt like months. Valeah was the only one who had been to see her, either to give her food and drink, or to simply keep her company for a bit. The steps coming down the stairway, however, were far too heavy to belong to the young elf. Tsage stood slowly, moving back from the door and preparing herself for the worst. As he came into view, she watched him carefully. A blood elf, heavily armored, with golden hair and bright blue eyes. He took a moment to look her over before speaking.

"We've heard Valeah's story quite a few times, now. I think it's time to hear yours."

"Are you.. Valeah's father?" Tsage asked, and the blood elf chuckled.

"No. He doesn't come down here anymore." He shook his head. "My name is Wolfe. And I've heard yours is Tsage?" She nodded. "Good. Now that we've got pleasantries out of the way... We can do this one of two ways. Either you can tell me the truth about what happened, or my brother will gladly torment the truth out of you. So I strongly suggest you cooperate with me."

"I was exploring Northrend, on my drake. It started to storm so I landed to take a break frokm the wind, and Valeah came running over the hill. She was being chased by a group of horde adventurers, so I took her on my drake to get away from them." Tsage explained as simply and quickly as she could. "Can I please just go? I meant no harm."

"That isn't my decision to make."Wolfe said. "But, I do believe you, and I will relay what you said."

"Thank you." Tsage nodded. It didn't take long after Wolfe had left the dungeons, before she heard more footsteps coming down the stairs toward her. There were three death knights, two of them with their swords ready while the third unlocked the door to her cell. Tsage contemplated running, but she knew she stood no chance. When the two death knights entered the cell and sie4zed her arms, she willingly walked with them up the stairs and through the Citadel. They took her to a room and the free-handed knight rapped on the door.

"We've got her here, M'lord." He said.

"Enter." They opened the door and lead her inside, forcing her into a chair. "You three can leave." He spoke from a large doorway, and the death knights obeyed his order after a short bow. As he moved closer, she was able to get a clear look at him. Tall and lanky with long, messy white hair that was pulled back loosely. He had one bright green eye, and the other was clouded over, almost white with long, brutal scars across that side of his face. Dark circles were clearly visible under his eyes, giving the assumption that he hadn't slept in quite a while. As if all of this wasn't enough to set her nerves on end, his right arm, from the forearm down, was made of metal, wires and spikes. A claw like construct.

"I told Wolfe the truth, I swear." Tsage spoke, eager to break the silence.

"That was _him_. " Drakkon said. "My brother, however, is far too trusting. I need more proof than just the simply fact of matching stories."

"What more proof can I give you? My word is all I have." She said, attempting her best to sound innocent.

"Tell me what happened." He ordered.

"I.. I was flying through Icecrown-"

"Why?" Drakkon interrupted. "Where were you going?"

"The tournament grounds. I wanted to test my strength."

"You're lying to me already." Drakkon's voice stayed calm with the accusation, but it sent a chill down her spine, none the less. How did he know?

"I'm not lying, I-" She tried, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Where were you going?" He repeated. She paused, somewhat dumbstruck as she searched her mind.

"I was supposed to meet with a group of my own, to try and eliminate fleshwerks." She poured all her effort into this lie, and her acting was, in fact, rather brilliant. Though, Drakkon wasn't buying into it.

"I'll give you one last chance."

"Alright." She sighed. "My sister came to Northrend a while back and we never heard from her again. I was coming to see if I could find her." Drakkon grit his teeth, and she could have sworn she saw a spark or two from that mechanical hand before he barked something in another language towards the door. Within seconds, the three death knights returned and plucked Tsage from the chair.

"Perhaps next time we talk you won't take me for such a fool." Drakkon shot. He had seen through her final attempt to lie. "Don't feed her." He instructed as they took her from the room. They tossed her mercilessly beack into her cell, locked it, and left without a word to her.

They had starved her to the point where she was barely able to move. She was guessing that there were guard on watch at all times, and that there had to be hundreds of knights within the Citadel at any given time. Countless ghouls and constructs both inside the Citadel, and on the surrounding walkways. Chances of escape were close to none, but she felt she would have to do something soon or she would die of starvation. These thoughts raced through her mind constantly, though she was well aware that her lack of energy most likely wouldn't even last her long enough to make it up the steep dungeon stairs.

"Time to try again, girly." A gruff voice spoke from the darkness. It was only one knight that time. She couldn't have fought if she wanted to, and allowed him to practically drag her through the Citadel. He didn't let her sit, this time. Drakkon stood beside the desk, looking at Tsage's defeated posture with a hint of triumph.

"Are you ready to tell the truth, yet?" Drakkon asked. "If so, I'll allow you to eat, again." Tsage gave a weak nod, and struggled slightly to find her voice.

"I was sent here to kill you." She said simply. It was a very believable answer, and she rejoiced inside slightly when he seemed to accept it, gesturing for the knight to sit her down. After doing so, he placed a plate of food before her on the desk. It wasn't an extravagant or large meal, but it was more than she had gotten since she'd been there and she gratefully began eating.

"So, you were on your way through Icecrown to come here." Drakkon summarized, and she gave a nod. "Then what?"

"There was a large storm." She said, reluctantly taking a break from eating. "I couldn't see anything and my drake was getting upset, so I landed. I was attempting to gather my bearings when the night elf-"

"Valeah." Drakkon corrected.

"Valeah," Tsage continued. "Came running over a hill behind me. I asked her what was happening and she alerted me to a group of horde that were chasing her. So I took her on my drake to get away from them."

"Why?" Drakkon asked.

"Well, I didn't want to see her get hurt." Tsage answered truthfully. "I didn't know.. Who she was." Drakkon stayed silent for a bit, before looking to the death knight.

"Let her finish, then take her back to her cell."

"Wait!" Tsage called as Drakkon made a move for the door. "I.. You aren't going to let me go?" She asked.

"Why would I do that?" He asked. "You were going to kill me." With this, he continued out of the room. As she finished her meal, she pocketed one of the bones before the knight brought her back into the dungeons.


	4. She's a fighter

**Alright. Sorry, for like the billionth time, for the delay in update. Been playing WoW a lot and my fanfiction kind of takes a back seat to lvling and gearing my characters lol. Anyway, I decided it was time to get back into this, so here you go.**

She waited for what seemed like hours, making sure no one else was going to be coming down into the dungeons, before she began to grind the small bone against the rough bars of her cell. She carefully carved it down into a sharp, slightly flattened shape, then made her way over to the cell door. She began to work the lock carefully, using only her touch and hearing to determine which way to turn the bone until, finally, she heard the lock snap open. She breathed a sigh of relief and adorned a small smile before slowly easing open the heavy door, trying to make as least noise as possible. She began up the stairs slowly, attempting to recall the layout of the parts of the Citadel she had seen, and devise a plan accordingly. As soon as she felt the magic wards of the cellar lift, she stealthed, pausing at the door and holding her breath as she listened for any sign of guards. When she was sufficiently satisfied, she worked the lock of the heavy door with the same pick she had used to escape her cell. She opened the door only enough to squeeze through, in case someone were to walk past and notice the door to the cellar open, all efforts would have been for nothing.

It didn't take long of wandering the Citadel's many halls for her to finally admit she had no idea where she was going, but she had come too far to simply turn back. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard footsteps, and quickly pressed her back against the wall, waiting. She wasn't sure what room she had come into, but there were many doorways and halls branching from it. Thought she was glad for the multiple escape routes, the echo it caused was confusing. The footsteps could have been coming from any direction, so she decided it best to stay as still as possible. She mentally cursed when it was Drakkon, himself, that entered, Though it was far too dark in the room to see his face, the eerie glint of that menacing metal arm was what gave away his identity. Then, light erupted in the room as he cast a fire spell. Tsage flinched, tensing her muscles and anticipating pain. The spell, however, had not hit her. It flew directly beside her, however, to the fireplace she was standing next to, creating an instant blaze.

Drakkon continued across the room, taking a seat on the couch in front of the fire and drinking from a long necked bottle of, what she guessed to be, wine. She stayed still, knowing full well he would likely pick up on her presence if she were to move. Something about him was different from the other times she had seen him. He looked sad, alone.. Weak and slightly broken looking, even. She stood there for quite a while before she finally worked up the nerve to attempt to move. He didn't seem like he was planning on leaving the room any time soon, and, in her weakened state, her legs would give out eventually. She tested her ground by moving an arm. When he didn't respond, she attempted moving the other. Feeling more confident, she took a step to the side, keeping her eyes on him. However, her downfall was not watching where she stepped, and subsequently knocked over a small weapons rack that clattered to the ground loudly.

Drakkon was on his feet in an instant, and immediately created a large arcane bubble that moved through the area, there was no escaping it. As the spell hit her, it knocked away her camouflage and she gasped. There was no mistaking the outrage on Drakkon's face when he saw her. She went on instinct alone, snatching up one of the fallen weapons and making a mad dash for the nearest exit. The wind was nearly knocked out of her and she was barely able to keep a hold of her newly acquired weapon as the bright violet and black magic strings of a deathgrip closed around her waist and yacked her backwards. She twisted around, swinging as she neared him. Drakkon easily blocked it, using his metal arm. She quickly withdrew the weapon to swing again, but he simply grabbed a hold of the blade and tore it from her hands. The commotion, much to her displeasure, was starting to draw out the death knights. As Drakkon tossed aside her weapon, she tried to run again. The knights quickly blocked the exits, however, and she looked around, wide eyed and frightened. It was like she was a lone mouse in a room filled with feral cats. As they closed in on her, a sudden gasp and shriek sounded through the room.

"Don't hurt her!" Valeah called as she quickly darted around the knights to stand in front of Tsage.

"Val, move." Drakkon ordered, glare locked on Tsage. Valeah shook her head no, and he looked to her.

"She saved my life." Valeah said. "You can't kill her. Please.."

"Take the rougue back to the dungeons. And guard the damn doors, this time!" Drakkon shot, and a few knights moved forward to snatch Tsage's arms and take her back to the cellar. Drakkon looked back to Valeah, who was watching after the knights to make sure Tsage didn't get hurt. "If she tries to escape again, I'll be left with no choice." He said, and Valeah gave a small nod of understanding.

Everything had been stripped from her cell in an attempt to prevent any further attempts of escape. Even her bedding was taken out, and she was left resorting to sleeping huddled in a corner. Not that the straw had provided much comfort, but it at least trapped enough of her body heat to make sleeping bearable. The footsteps woke her easily, and she jumped to her feet, moving to the back of the cell. She relaxed slightly when it was Wolfe that came into view. Something about the paladin was calming.

"I heard about your stunt last night." He spoke, leaning against the cell. Tsage nodded, moving away from the wall to stand beside him. "A bone, eh? That;s pretty creative." He smiled.

"You'd be the only one to think so." She replied.

"How would you like to get out of here for a while?" Wolfe asked, immediately gaining Tsage's full attention.

"To do what?" She asked, both concerned and excited at the suggestion.

"To prove yourself." He said simply as he unlocked and opened her cell to hand her the armor and daggers she had been stripped of when she had first arrived at the Citadel. Tsage, although a bit wary, pulled the armor on and hooked her daggers to her belt before following Wolfe up the stairs. She studied her surroundings immensely as they walked, taking in every detail and creating a map inside her mind. He lead her through a few halls and then into a rather large, extravagant room packed with death knights. Tsage was so focused on watching for any signs of attack that she ran into Wolfe as he stopped before her. She quickly took a few steps back and looked to him in question.

"Ready?" Wolfe asked, taking a large, rather menacing looking mace and giving her a smirk.

"What?" She gasped.

"Don't worry, I won't reallt hurt you. I just want to see what kind of potential you have." He chuckled. By now, many of the death knights were watching in curiosity. It appeared that they weren't a threat while Wolfe was there, however, so Tsage took her blades in hand and gave a small nod before seeming to disappear completely. Wolfe, who had been anticipating this, sent a spell that crawled over the ground around him. Tsage had moved away, however, and wasn't hit by it, and simply circled the blood elf just outside of the spell's range. The second the spell vanished, she ran forward. Wolfe spun instantly, using the handle of his mace to block her blades.

In a flash, Tsage spun and brought her leg to collide with the back of his knees, causing him to fall. She attempted to pin him, but he rolled out of the way and back onto his feet, taking a swing with his mace that she was barely able to dodge in time. As she came at him again, he snatched her wrists in one hand, preventing the attack. She jumped up, kicking Wolfe back with both feet and , as he was forced to release her, she flipped backwards and landed nimbly on her feet. Without hesitation, she ran at him directly after landing. Wolfe blacked the daggers, again. This time, using his plated bracers before swinging his mace again. Still a bit dazed from his block, she wouldn't have been able to dodge the heavy weapon in time. Thankfully, she didn't have to. A large bolt of ice hit the mace and knocked it off course.

"What the hell are you doing?" Drakkon demanded, and both Wolfe and Tsage looked over to see Drakkon glaring at Wolfe as he approached.

"I _was_ dueling, before you came along." Wolfe sighed, obviously unphased by his brother's apparent anger.

"You took her from the dungeons and gave her weapons and it was just last night that she tried to escape... Are you insane?" Drakkon snarled.

"I thought insanity was your forte. I wouldn't want to intrude." Wolfe began jokingly, only making Drakkon's glare worsen. "I wanted to see how good of a fighter she was. I thought she may want to opt out of being a prisoner to join us."

"I.." Tsage began, but faltered as the brothers looked to her. "Would like that." She said. "More than the dungeons."

"You see?" Wolfe said, gaining back Drakkon's attention. "And, I think she has the potential to-"

"You have no idea what you're talking about. There's no use in judging her strength on someone who has no intention on actually harming her." Drakkon paused, looking over to Tsage for a second. "Tonik." He called.

"Yes, M'lord." Tonik replied, stepping forward with a smirk.

"Give her a challenge." Drakkon ordered, and Tonik nodded as she unsheathed two swords.

"My pleasure." She rushed forward, blades raised, and came at Tsage full force. Her attacks were much more quick and precise than Wolfe's had been. Tsage ducked and dodged, taking a minute to gauge her opponent. The, Tsage ducked, rolled, and disappeared again. Tonik didn't wait as Wolfe had. Instead, she began to swing the swords into the empty air around her, attempting to hit the rogue by chance. Luck was on the death knight's side as one of the blades sliced into Tsage's arm.

She hissed in pain as she was revealed, and Tonik quickly swung again. Tsage dodged just in time, and swung her own blade at the knight. It vut into Tonik's cheek, but she didn't even flinch. She simply spun quickly and brought her elbow to Tsage's face, causing her to fall backwards to the floor. Tsage cursed loudly at the pain, and rolled out of the way just as Tonik brought her blades down. Tsage jumped back to her feet and made a dash away, attempting to gain some distance from the knight to stealth again. Tonik swiftly dropped one sword to deathgrip the rogue back and swung the remaining sword. It cut into Tsage's side as she tried to dodge, and she grit her teeth. Tonik stomped a foot onto her fallen blade, and it was sent into the air. She snatched it in mid-air and started at Tsage again. This time, Tsage blocked it with her own blades, pushing Tonik's aside in an attempt to plunge her own forward. Tonik growled and kicked Tsage in the stomach, making her fall to the floor again. Then, Tonik slammed a foot onto Tsage's chest to keep her pinned and held one of her swords pointed at the rogue's neck.

"Dead or alive?" Tonik asked, keeping her eyes glued to Tsage.

"Alive." Drakkon answered, and Tonik obediently moved her sword. Tsage stayed on the ground for a bit, catching her breath, before looking up at the death knight as she held out a hand. As Tsage cautiously took it,Tonik pulled her forward and back onto her feet.

"Well?" Wolfe asked, looking to his brother.

"Keep an eye on her." Drakkon answered. "When she isn't training she is not to have weapons or armor and she will work as one of the servants." Wolfe looked to Tsage, then gave a nod of agreement.

"Alright. I'll find her a spare room." Wolfe smiled.


	5. Tell Me Your Secrets

Tsage trained hard. She did everything that was asked of her and more. She knew she was being closely watched, and made no effort to escape. Though it was very hard and extremely tiring, she did everything in her power to make herself thought of as less of a threat. She got to know a few of the death knights, which she had not been expecting. Tonik, for instance, was not as cruel and cold hearted as their first encounter had depicted her. She was rather kind, and offered Tsage advice on occasion, or helped direct her around the citadel when she was lost. Though, Tsage could see easily that she was, in fact, a very fierce fighter, and had no qualms about mowing down anyone who crossed her. Wolfe had briefly explained that this attitude was what made her the top death knight, and second in command to the scourge army.

Wolfe, himself, had taken her on as a personal project. Though he wasn't a rogue, it was clear he had dealings with them in the past. He aided her in strategy, technique and timing, along with any other area where there was room for improvement. After a few months of training and proving herself, she was reluctantly allowed to wear her armor and carry her weapons. Though, she still had yet to be let allowed outside the citadel. She had learned a lot about the inner workings of the scourge after the time she spent among them. Of course, she still knew barely anything about Drakkon. No one outside of the scourge knew much about him, and those within the scourge didn't talk about him. She had noticed early on that he stayed to himself, even to see him walk through the citadel was rare. She found herself quite sure that he wasn't pleased with the idea of her being a part of the army, and that he wanted nothing to do with her. In his defense, however, she _had_ admitted to trying to kill him. She couldn't blame him for his untrust. Curiosity had gotten the better of her when she found out that, during the day and, sometimes, parts of the night, Drakkon wasn't even present in the citadel at all. If she was ever to make her way out of the scourge, it would be useful to have information on everything she could gather. It had been a rather uneventful day, which she welcomed happily. Usually, she would be running all over the citadel between training with Wolfe and fulfilling her promised servant duties. She decided it would be the best time to try and figure out just where the new lich king was going and why. When he finished talking with a small group of knights and made his way for the front of the citadel, she bravely followed. It appeared, at first, that he hadn't even noticed her. However, as he neared the exit, he spoke, startling her.

"Sneaking out would work better if you were stealthed." He said, then stopped and turned to look back at her. "What are you doing?"

"I was just.." She began. "Wolfe and the servants don't need me for anything. I don't like just sitting around feeling useless. Is there anything you need me to do?" She tried.

"No." He said, then turned and started for the door, again.

"Well, could I maybe come with you?" She asked, hesitating before following him outside.

"Why?" He asked, and she faltered.

"To get out of the citadel for a while?" She paused. "I mean, you would be there, so you wouldn't have to worry about me trying to escape or anything." She assured. He said nothing, only called down a frostwyrm and pulled himself onto it's back. He regarded her for a moment before nodding behind him, a gesture for her to get on. She awkwardly did so, and the wyrm gave a click of it's jaw before darting into the air. Tsage gasped and quickly gripped one of the dragon's exposed ribs to balance herself.

They didn't fly very far. Or, it didn't seem too far, due to the speed of the wyrm. As they landed, the first thing Tsage noticed was the putrid smell of rotting flesh. She wrinkled her nose and quickly pulled her bandanna up to cover the lower half of her face. As she looked around, she could see why the area smelled that way. There were old corpses, random, rotting body parts and organs and freshly made ghouls roaming the lands. Labs, cauldrons and tables lined twisted platforms and necromancers scavanged the area, ordering ghouls and geists pulling stacks of saronite. As Drakkon jumped from the wyrm's back, Tsage followed, still studying the area as she went. This must have been the fleshwerks. Drakkon strode through with purpose, knowing exactly where he was heading. He stopped at the mouth of a large cave crawling with ghouls and turned to Tsage.

"Stay out of here." Was all he said before turning back and entering the cave. Tsage cursed under her breath as she looked around at the disturbing view, slightly regretting having tagged along. She would have to find something to preoccupy herself.

It was well into the night before he emerged from the cave. She had never been so glad. She had taken on a few of the necromancers' tasks and cleaned up a bit, separating full corpses and parts into piles. Drakkon gave a scan of the area before he spotted her and motioned her over.

"Light, I thought she escaped!" Wolfe said as Tsage and Drakkon entered the citadel.

"I'm sorry I didn't have time to tell you where I was-" Tsage began.

"Don't apologize." Drakkon interrupted. "He should know where you are at all times. Regardless of whether or not you tell him."

"That;s kind of hard when it's _you_ that has her." Wolfe said. "The last place I would expect to look."

"Then you should broaden your thoughts, shouldn't you?" Drakkon rose a brow. Without another word, he moved past Wolfe and through the room. Wolfe sighed, looking back to Tsage.

"Sorry." She repeated.

"It'll be fine." Wolfe assured. "So, you've been to fleshwerks, then?" She nodded. "How'd you like it?"

"It smelled revolting." She replied, making Wolfe laugh. "Other than that, not so bad."

"Well, I assume you haven't eaten?" Wolfe asked. She nodded, and Wolfe gestured for her to follow him. He lead her to the kitchen and requested a meal for them both before sitting at a small table the servants, themselves, often used throughout the day. Tsage sat across from him after a polite thank you to the servant cooking their food. "Did you just.." Wolfe began. "He just let you go with him?

"Well, I had to convince him I wouldn't be able to escape."

"Did he let you into his lab?"

"His lab?"

"Apparently not." Wolfe chuckled. "What did you do while you were down there?"

"Nothing specific." She shrugged. "Odd jobs." Wolfe nodded, and they sat in silence for a bit.

"For the future.." Wolfe began. "So I would know where you are if I can't find you. Do you plan to go back?"

"Perhaps." She nodded. "If there's nothing else to be done. I get a bit stir crazy staying in the citadel."

The servant had prepared them a brilliant meal. Tsage was thrilled, though she didn't show it, and took her time to savor every bite. She and Wolfe rambled on as they ate, though not about anything in particular. In fact, their chatting lasted well after they were finished and all the servants had gone off to bed. It was only Drakkon coming into the kitchen that distracted them. He gave a questioning look to Wolfe, but nothing more as he made his way across the room, lit the stove, and set aq steak in a pan to cook.

"Good to see you're still eating." Wolfe offered, catching Drakkon's attention as he took a swig from a wine bottle.

"Unfortunately, it's necessary to survive." Drakkon replied.

"Silver was looking for you, today." Wolfe said, making Tsage raise a brow.

` "Who's Silver?"

"Our sister." Wolfe answered.

"What did she want?" Drakkon asked, and Wolfe shrugged. "Well, you're useful." Drakkon said sarcastically.

"She didn't tell me."

"Why didn't you send her to fleshwerks?"

"She said she didn't want to bother you."

"That was never a problem before.. Is she coming back?" Wolfe shrugged again, and even Tsage could tell Drakkon was biting back a nasty comment.

"She didn't tell me that, either." Wolfe hurriedly said.

"Why isn't she in the citadel?" Tsage asked.

"She's got somewhere else to be." Drakkon answered her, that time.

"She's in Outlands." Wolfe said, and Tsage gave a nod. Drakkon removed his steak, set it on a plate and started for the table. He gave Wolfe a pointed look, and the paladin grumbled under his breath as he moved from his seat.

"If she comes back tomorrow, send her to fleshwerks." Drakkon said, and Wolfe nodded. "I don't care what you do, but I don't need an audience while I eat." Drakkon spoke after a while, looking from Wolfe to Tsage.

"Alright. Goodnight." Wolfe said. Tsage obediently and got up and followed Wolfe as he started to leave the room.

"Goodnight." She offered with a pause at the doorway. Drakkon only gave a simple nod in response, then made a shooing motion for her to leave the room.

Tsage woke much later than she normally did, which startled her slightly. Usually, Wolfe came rapping opn her door early for training. She quickly rolled out of bed, dawned her armor and left her room. The main room was bustling and busy, many faces she had never seen before were scattered about. Clearly, something was going on. Tsage spotted Wolfe across the room, speaking to what appeared to be a tall blood elf with horns and another, shorter blood elf with long white hair. She made her way through the crowd and, as Wolfe noticed her, he gave a smile. As the white haired elf he was talking to noticed his distraction, she turned, and Tsage stopped dead in her tracks, muscles tense. Wolfe rose a brow, and gestured her over. After a brief moment, she complied, her eyes never leaving the former queen she believed to be dead.

"This is Tsage, the rogue I told you about." Wolfe said.

"Nice to meet you." Nyteshayde nodded with a warm smile. Tsage struggled with her won nod.

"Tsage, this is my mother, Juliet." Wolfe continued.

"I'm sorry... I don't mean to seem so... " Tsage faltered. "Well, there are rumors that you.. well.. died."

"Well, I did." Nyteshayde shrugged. "I mean, I'm not technically alive anymore." She chuckled. "So, where's your brother?" She asked, turning her attention back to Wolfe. "We can't really begin without him."

"I honestly think he's forgotten." Wolfe sighed. "Probably still down to fleshwerks. He would have been drawn out by the noise by now if he were here."

"I'll go get him." Tsage offered, earning a raised brow from Wolfe. "I mean, I'm sure you'd like to catch up with your mother, and I've been down there already. I know where I'm going."

"Alright." Wolfe nodded after a short pause. "Quickly." Tsage gave a nod before moving through the crowded room to get outside. The frostwyrm looked skeptical as she approached it, and gave a rumbling, low growl. Tsage was no stranger to unruly dragons, however. Before she had come into the citadel, she trained them for riding. Seeing as how this particular wyrm was already trained, she wouldn't have much trouble. She maintained her confident strides forward, halting only a few feet before it to hold out her hand. The wyrn sniffed it and examined her a bit, but lowered itself for her to get on it's back after only a few minutes.

Fleshwerks was just as grotesque as it had been the previous day. She began for the cave as soon as she dismounted She was nearly there before a necromancer stood before her, saying something in another language.

"Please, I have something important to tell your king." She tried, but the necromancer stood his ground. He repeated himself, and pointed to the wyrm she rode in on. "Listen, I just-"

"Go." He spoke in common, pointing again. Tsage gave an exasperated sigh.

"Wolfe sent me." She tried again.

"Go." He repeated. Tsage cursed, then started back for the frostwyrm. When she made it to the dragon's side, the necromancer turned and went back to his work. Tsage ordered the wyrm to fly off, then quickly stealthed, starting back to the cave. It was long and winding, with ghouls everywhere. She kept close to the wall, avoiding them completely as she went around the twists and turns. Then, she came into a large opening. It was lined with saronite tables, bottles and tubes with various glowing liquids, crates containing unknown objects, and many weapons and skeletons. All over tha large lab were corpse parts, and in the middle was some sort of ominous object with table-beds covered in blood attached to it in a circle. She gave a look around for any more ghouls before she let her stealth go off. She couldn't see Drakkon anywhere. Wolfe had sounded so sure. She made her way around the lab, looking over tables as she went. It was much more than any of the labs outside the cave. One of the ghouls from the neck of the cave a growl and she turned, drawing her daggers and subsequently knocking a few vials off the table. The ghoul hadn't seen her, and she guessed it must have been after a rat. She cursed at the mess she had made, and made a grab for another vial as it rolled off the table, trying to prevent a bigger mess. As she reached for it, however, she was snatched by the collar of her shirt and pulled backwards, away from it. As the vial she had almost grabbed hit the ground, it shattered. The liquid inside instantly began to sizzle and bubble as it quickly at at the floor like a strong and potent acid.

"What the hell are you doing?" Drakkon shot as he released her. She couldn't answer, she was holding the hand she could have lost, had the acid touched her skin. In fact, it was still burning through the ground. Drakkon stepped over it to the table, snatching another vial and pouring it's contents onto the acid to neutralize it. It was then that Tsage looked up to him. There was no mistaking the anger in his eyes at finding her in his lab.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"What do you want?" He ordered.

"There are a lot of people at the citadel. And apparently they can't start without you?" She tried, hoping he would understand. She breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded knowingly.

"How did you get here?" He asked.

"I took frostwyrm." She answered as he ushered her from the cave. She inwardly smirked when she saw the necromancer who had tried to keep her out. The expression on his face was of pure confusion. She didn't have much time to enjoy this, however, as Drakkon called the wyrm back down, ordered her onto it, and flew back to the citadel.

"Wolfe." Drakkon called as they entered. Wolfe, after a quick word to Nyteshayde, came over and rose a brow. "I assume it was your bright idea to send her?"

".. Why?" Wolfe paused.

"I'll take that as a yes." Drakkon scoffed. "First of all, she isn't supposed to leave the Citadel wihtout someone watching her. Second, you can sit this meeting out to go clean up the mess she made in my damn lab." Without waiting for an argument, Drakkon continued past and into the coucil room.

"What mess?" Wolfe asked, looking to Tsage.

"I knocked over a few bottles and one made a hole in the ground." Tsage answered guiltily. Despite Drakkon's anger at the same event, Wolfe laughed. This made Tsage smile. At least Wolfe wasn't mad at her.

"Alright. I guess I'm going to go fix that." He paused. "Wanna come?"

"Am I allowed?"

"I say you are." He shrugged, and she nodded.

The other vial Drakkon had poured onto the acid had, thankfully, prevented any further damage. The hole it had made, however, was already fairly large. Tsage followed suit as Wolfe grabbed a shovel like object and began to fill the hole.

"So.." Wolfe spoke. "Drak raises a decent point. There was no one with you, why didn't you try to escape?" Tsage gave a questioning look. "You tried to escape while you were in the dungeons, in the center of the citadel. Though, when you have a clear shot out, and you got a frostwyrm to obey you, you didn't try."

"Well, I guess escape seemed more relevant when I thought my life was in danger."

"You don't, anymore?"

"Not as much. I mean, now I know the citadel, I've met the death knights, and I'm allowed to have my armor and weapons. Having the lich king's brother as a friend makes me feel a bit more secure, as well." She smiled.

"How did you get back here?" Wolfe asked after a while more of silent work.

"I'm a rogue." She replied, and he chuckled.

"And you managed to do this before he noticed you?"

"I think this was what made him notice me." They finished filling the hole and Wolfe used his shovel to push aside the broken glass.

"What's going on at the citadel?" She asked as Wolfe took seat on one of the table-beds to rest.

"Council meeting." He shrugged, and noticed Tsage's questioning look. "Drak, despite popular belief, doesn't run the entire show by himself. Once every couple of months, the council meets to discuss courses of action, new alliance or horde arrivals... The basic things we have to deal with on a regular basis. It's really rather boring."

"Who all is in the council?" She asked, bravely moving to sit beside him.

"Well, My brother, of course. Then there's the family. Myself, our sister, and out parents-"

"Parents?" Tsage interrupted. "So your.. Father... He's still alive, as well?" Wolfe nodded. "It seems like everything I thought I knew is wrong." She breathed, and Wolfe laughed.

"Don't feel bad. That's the way mt brother is trying to keep it. To the rest of Azeroth, my parents are dead ,Drak runs everything solo, and we don;t have an allegiance with Stormrage."

"Illidan Stormrage!" Tsage gasped, and Wolfe nodded.

"That's where my sister lives. Black Temple." He said. Tsage felt slightly guilty. He wouldn't have been telling her all of those things if he didn't trust her. He was feeding her every bit of information anyone would need to destroy the scourge. He seemed to sense her change in emotion and rose a brow. "Are you alright?"

"Oh.." She nodded "I'm fine. That's just a lot of information to process." She offered a smile.

"Let's get out of here, this place is disgusting." He said, getting to his feet and starting out of the cave


	6. Finding a Purpose

Tsage was quite pleased with herself. She trained and worked hard, and was rewarded with a higher status among the scourge. They were beginning to trust her. Everyone but Drakkon, that is. Though the necromancers had praised the work she did in fleshwerks, and Drakkon allowed her to tag along with him more often, though, not in his lab. Tsage had also formed quite a close bond with the young night elf, Valeah. Valeah had a vibrant, joyous, and energized personality. A rarity for someone in the citadel. Tsage praised it. They laughed and talked whenever the rogue had free time. It made her feel like an older sister, in it's own strange way. Valeah, like Wolfe, had many things to offer Tsage's inquiry. She knew the names of all the council members, when exactly the meetings were held and what they talked about. She was willing to share it all. Valeah would have been the best vessel of information about Drakkon, though she would stray away from Tsage's questions about him so often that it seemed she knew well enough not to talk about him. Like she knew he wanted to remain a mystery. Though this was bit frustrating, Tsage still enjoyed Valeah's company. When Tsage had been informed that Silver had taken Valeah to Outlands for a few days, Tsage's days seemed empty and uneventful.

"You want to get out of the Citadel for a while?" Wolfe's question broke her thoughts. She looked to him with a smile and a nod before letting him lead her away. She didn't know where they were going, and couldn't care less. Her day had been boring until that point. They flew through Icecrown slowly, Wolfe pointing out different stations as they went and explaining what they were for. It was a sight-seeing flight. Tsage was rather intrigued to see everything. They landed in a field of Soldiers and Wolfe helped Tsage down from the wyrm as she looked over the massive crowd. Most were dueling, training, or talking.

"I've got some training to do. You can either join in or watch." Wolfe said. "Either way, it's better than sitting bored at the citadel, right?" She nodded with a smile. She decided to sit it out and watch, settling on a rock out of the way. It was easy to tell that this group was very experienced, and it seemed like Wolfe was more testing them than training them. She watched for what seemed like hours before the knights began reporting back to their stations.

"Alright." Wolfe called. "Your turn."

"I thought you said I could just watch." Tsage said, even as she rose from the boulder and drew her weapons.

"It's been a while. I want to see if you've learned anything." He said, gesturing for her to attack him. It was a less threatening thought, since his usually heavy and hard mace was replaced with a sword. She was sure he knew how to use it, however. She ran forward quickly, daggers flying. Despite her best efforts, he blocked every one. She ducked under one of his swings and stealthed, avoiding the spell he tried to use to reveal her. She waited for it to disappear before rushing forward, feeling triumphant. She lashed out with her dagger, but he put up his shield as she did so, pushing her backwards. She immediately lost her footing and fell backwards, hitting the ground with an _oof_ that made Wolfe laugh. She gave a sigh of defeat as he approached, and he held out a hand to help her to her feet.

"Not too bad." He said as she put her daggers away again.

"I just think it's impossible to catch you by surprise." She smiled. As she looked up at him, he took a bold step forward, took a hand to lift her chin, and pressed his lips to hers. Tsage was stunned. Sure, the two had had a few flirtatious conversations, but she never believed he would actually act upon it. Though she found herself complete;y surprised and unsure, it would have been a lie to say she didn't enjoy it. After the initial moment of surprise, she linked her arms around him and returned the kiss.

It was easy to keep up with the facade of a relationship with Wolfe. He trusted her whole heartedly, doted upon her and provided, selflessly, anything she could ever need. She felt guilty, having allowed the relationship simply for convenience and information. She began to feel slightly frightened by the situation, however, when she found herself growing to care for him. Though, she wouldn;t go so far as to call it love. Perhaps something close to it, however. Wolfe had boasted about it, and Drakkon showed no restraint in voicing how foolish he thought their relationship was. Wolfe, being more trusting and faithful than his brother, payed Drakkon's warnings no mind.

Tsage sighed and gave a quick stretch after slinging a corpse into a pile of others. Fleshwerks' necromancers, still impressed with her performance, had begun to request her presence more and more. As of late, she was glad for the distraction. She didn;t mind the work, and was beginning to learn how to ignore the stench. Often times, offering a bit of excitement, adventurers would come along and she would take part in protecting the area. Her fighting skills had improved, and Drakkon had allowed better armor to be made for her.

"Rogue." A necromancer called. It was an unusually busy day in fleshwerks. A recent attack had left them low on ghouls and supplies, and, therefor, they had to replenish the loss. The necromancer hadn't even left his station when he called for her. She started over, and he immediately shoved a crudely built crate with many potions into her arms. "Take that to the king." He ordered, and Tsage gave a weary look to the cave.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to go in there." She tried.

"Well, are you a necromancer?"

"No?" She rose a brow.

"Alright, so you couldn't take over for me while I go in..Are you an alchemist?"

"No, wh-"

"Well, then you can't take over for one of them so they can go.. Ghouls are clumsy and the constructs are far too large to fit in the cave. So, you are the only option if we're to keep working. I'm sure he'll understand. Now go." He shot heatedly. Without further delay, Tsage turned and headed for the cave, pausing a moment to prepare herself before going inside. She had to hold the large crate awkwardly, obstructing her vision quite a bit. It felt like the boards could come loose at any given time, causing the contents to spill, fall and break. So she tried to go quickly, knowing that, if the scenario were to come true, it wouldn't;t be taken lightly.

"M'lord?" She called when she noticed the cave widen into his lab. It felt odd to address him, since she usually avoided doing so, unsure of how he wanted her to do so. There was only silence. Then, suddenly, the load was snatched from her, startling her slightly. He looked just as busy as the rest of them, casting the crate aside on a table before returning to what he was previously doing. She waited for a moment, looking around the messy lab, before she decided it best to leave.

"Wait." He called, making her turn back around. "I want to test something out on you, come here." This remark instantly made her uneasy, and she hesitated. He looked over to her, unamused and impatient. "Now. I'm very busy." Still wary, she moved forward slowly. He searched the crowded table quickly before snatching a vial of eerily glowing green liquid and turned to her, making her flinch involuntarily. "Let me see your daggers." Tsage obeyed, unhooking them and holding them out for him in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. He took them quickly and held the blades away from him as he poured the liquid onto them. Tsage cocked her head slightly as the liquid seemed to merge with the blades, making them glow the same bright green color. "Hold out your hand." He said. She had the instant feeling that she was going to be hurt, but complied anyhow. As she held out her hand he quickly made a small cut on the back of her wrist with his claw, and she winced only slightly. Then, fast enough to keep the blood on the claw, he let a few drops fall onto each of the daggers. Without warning, he spun one of the blades around to touch her arm with it. The movement startled her, but he hadn't cut her with it, and the strange liquid didn't hurt her. She rose a brow to him as he held them back out for her to take.

"What did you do?" She asked. Drakkon didn't answer. His reply was to slice one of the daggers into the table. It cut through the thick saronite like butter, leaving smoke curling up in it's wake as the table melted slightly. Then, he held out the blades for her, again. She took them, that time, and Drakkon immediately turned back to continue his work. "Thank you." She offered, examining the blades. She was grateful, but confused as to why he would make her weapons stronger if he didn't trust her. Perhaps she was wearing him down.

"Don;t mention it." He said. "You can leave, now."

"Are you sure you don;t want me to help with anything?" She tried, gaining a raised brow. "I mean, You're the only one back here, and you look pretty busy. I've already done all I could out there." She gave a quick look around. "I could clean up in here, organize. It might be easier for you to work if everything wasn't so cluttered." He regarded her for a moment, then took a look around the lab, himself.

"Don;t break anything." He said before turning back to his work. Tsage smiled, snapping her daggers back to her belt and beginning to clean. They worked in silence for quite some time. Tsage moved scrap parts into piles as she had done outside, and organized the random potions, poisons and elixers around the room according to color and bottle style.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked as she worked up the bravery.

"Hm?" He replied without looking to her.

"What happened to your arm?"

"Wrynn." He answered briefly.

"Varian or Anduin?"

"Varian."

"And.. Did he do that to your eye, as well?" She asked, and she could see him visibly tense.

"No." His tone suggested for her not to press the issue, and she took the hint.

"I didn't mean anything by it." She clarified quickly. "Just curious." She paused. "Wolfe told me about the council meetings.. Do they happen often?"

"At least once every two months." He answered, a slight undertone of annoyance. Most likely brought on from finding out about Wolfe's eagerness to share information.

"Maybe, at the next one, you can talk about getting more forces down here?" She suggested cautiously. "In case another attack like this happens. It would be better guarded and things wouldn't get this busy."

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?" She asked, and he cast a quick glance over to her.

"Because there arent many willing to work here. It's considered a punishment."

"But, you're here by choice?" He nodded. "Why would you want to be here, if it's so horrible?"

"This is what I did before I became king. Old habits." He said. "And it gives me a valid reason to avoid the citadel and everyone's complaints. I like it better here, alone." Tsage paused, looking over to him. She had already perceived him to be a loner. Unsocial. He had finally given her an admission. At least she was finding out a bit more about him. Tsage glanced down to the last vial in her hands before hesitantly placing it on the shelf.

"There." She said. "Better?" Drakkon turned, giving the lab a quick look before nodding and going back to work.

"Thank you." He offered. "It's late, go ahead back to the citadel."

"By myself?" She asked, slightly baffled. Drakkon still had trust issues with her. Usually, if he had anything to do with it, she would never go unsupervised. At her question, he rose a brow to her. "Aren't you coming?"

"I've got more to do here. You've done all you can." He clarified. She only gave a small nod before obediantly leaving to go back to the citadel.

"Oh! There you are!" Wolfe smiled as Tsage made her way into the main room. "I was looking for you."

"I was in fleshwerks." Tsage replied as Wolfe made his way over and linked an arm around her shoulders, walking her through the nearly deserted room. Drakkon had been right, it had gotten very late.

"I didn't see you." Wolfe said. "I went down to see if you were hungry."

"I was helping the king." Tsage tried to explain, but Wolfe's confused expression only grew.

"In his lab?"

"There was nothing left for me to do, so I offered to organize for him." She shrugged, and Wolfe paused.

"And he let you?" She nodded. "Just when I thought he couldn't surprise me anymore.." Wolfe trailed, and Tsage chuckled.

"Well, they were awfully busy." She said. "Seeing as how there aren't many down there." She paused. "I think I should learn alchemy."

"What? Why? You _want_ to work in that horrid place?"

"I just think it would make me more useful. They need the help.. And there's really no room for me, here, in the army." She explained. "I think it's kind of interesting down there. The things they're able to make." She paused, unhooking one of her daggers and smiling. "Watch." At this, she took a piece of scrap saronite from her bag and sliced through it. Just as it had done at fleshwerks, the blade cut through with ease and melted it a bit. "See what I mean?" She grinned over. "Something like this.. Doesn't even seem like it should be possible."

"Things like that _weren't_ possible.. Until my brother came along. With his insane theories and trials." Wolfe sounded a bit disgusted as he said this, and Tsage's grin faltered. "How many people do you think had to die in order for you to have that?"

"I don't.. ' Tsage began hesitantly.

"An advanced potion like that? Judging, too, the fact that my brother has no soul left to speak of. He doesn't test on corpses or objects or even ghouls. He has no remorse. None of them do. Fleshwerks is not a good place to be. It changes people." Wolfe said. "So, how many people had to die for that poison?" He repeated, and Tsage faltered. She'd never truly gotten a glimpse of his noble side, and it was making her feel very guilty.

"Ranging into the hundreds." Drakkon's gruff voice spoke from behind them, and she and Wolfe turned to see him. "Forgive me, but I stopped counting after a while." Wolfe scowled. "It's funny that, out of all the things you have to choose from, you find my work in fleshwerks to be the most disturbing."

"It's wrong." Wolfe defended.

"So was mocking Jaimee's death, but that didn't stop you, did it? You can't pick and choose when to be moral, Wolfe." Drakkon retaliated, and Tsage rose a brow in confusion.

"We've been over that..." Wolfe tried.

"Indeed we have." Drakkon nodded, then looked to Tsage. "You don;t take orders from him. You take them from me. If you want to be an Alchemist, come down to fleshwerks tomorrow to start training." He said, and she gave a small nod. With one last pointed look to Wolfe, Drakkon continued through the room and left.

"Are you going to go?" Wolfe asked after a while of silence.

"It won't change me.." She tried.

"I hope not." Wolfe muttered.

Tsage had made up her mind before she had even returned to the ditadel. She had never been fond of fighting. Alchemy like a much gentler way to remain useful. She landed her wyrm in fleshwerks and hesitated a bit. Where was she supposed to go? Drakkon hadn't said. Despite who he was, she felt more safe around Drakkon, himself, rather than the other necromancers. At least he would keep her alive, due to Valeah's wishes. As she made her way through the twisting cave, she could hear him talking to someone, though she couldn;t make out what either was saying. They were speaking in orcish, a language she had neglected to learn. Then, as she rounded the corner into the lab, she was surprised to see the same blood elf, demon hybrid she had seen Wolfe talking to months previously. This time, she was able to recognize the demonic qualities, and was slightly concerned. Drakkon was in the middle of the lab,sitting on one of the torture tables with a pipe in hand. This was another thing that spiked her interest. She had seen many who used a pipe to smoke tobacco plants. In fact, she grew up around it. Though, whatever was in Drakkon's pipe was clearly different than tobacco, judging from the smell. She stood still for a moment, looking between the two and contemplating whether she should stay or leave. This was when the demon noticed her.

"Hello." The demon offered, causing Drakkon to follow her gaze to the troubled rogue.

"Hi." Tsage replied quietly.

"I didn't think Wolfe would let you come." Drakkon said.

"You said not to listen to him." Tsage tried. Had he been joking? It was hard to tell.

"I thought you would, anyway." Drakkon said, and the demon cleared her throat. "This is our sister, Silver." He added with a slight roll of the eyes. At this, Silver broke into a grin and moved toward Tsage, taking her hand in a handshake.

"Tsage." Tsage replied with a nod and small smile of her own.

"Pleased to meet you. Wolfe has told me about you."

"Good things, I hope." Tsage said,m and Silver nodded.

"Of course." Silver said, looking back to Drakkon. He had moved from his perch on the table to cross the lab on the opposite side of them. "I hope Drak hasn't been too awful. He can be a bit eccentric. His bark is worse than his bite, though."

"He's been fine. I mean. I did originally come here with ill intentions, so I can't blame him for the way hes been acting towards me."

"I wouldn't mark it off as just you.. Drakkon is this way towards everyone. " Silver shook her head. "Well." She continued in a slightly louder voice, catching Drakkon's attention, again. I wish I could stay longer, but I've got to get back. Drak, you're sure you-"

"Drop it, Silver." He called back.

"Alright." She sighed, then looked back to Tsage. "Perhaps we'll get to talk more, someday soon." She said before continuing out of the cave. Tsage wanted nothing more than to inquire as to what the two were talking about, but knew well enough Drakkon wouldn't tell her, and would probably get annoyed at her asking. Instead, she pushed the question to the back of her mind.

"Alright, come here." Drakkon ordered. Tsage obediently crossed the room to stand near him as he snatched a few things from the shelves.

"Wait.. _You're_ going to train me?" She asked.

"Is that a problem?" He asked, raining a brow to her.

"No.. I just assumed-"

"Never assume." He interrupted as he returned to the long table with many vials of various liquids.

Alchemy was far more complicated than she had first thought. It was less of an experimental mess, like Wolfe had made it sound, and far more precise and exact , with complex calculations and measurements. She found out rather quickly that she couldn't keep up with him. He was able to make such calculations quickly and in his head. Tsage, however, was faltering over herself the entire way. Thankfully, Drakkon noticed her struggle and slowed down, all the while smoking silently from his pipe and watching her with judgment. This made her uneasy and afraid to make a mistake, adding to her slow, clumsy pace. However, she was eventually able to complete her task, and gave a smile of satisfaction before looking to Drakkon.

"What do you think that does?" He asked after a moment. Tsage hesitated. She had no idea. "It does nothing." He announced, and her victorious expression faded. "This is only the base of the potion." Tsage sighed, looking over to him in frustration. "Not as simple as you thought, I'm guessing?"

"Not at all." She breathed.

"And this is why so few want to work in fleshwerks." He said pointedly. "Take a wyrm back to the citadel and-"

"I didn't say I wanted to stop." She tried. "I still want to do this." Drakkon didn;t reply right away, just watched her with curiosity.

"Why?" He finally asked.

"Because I think it's amazing. It's something that's limitless. You can create anything you put your mind to, really. Plus, I want to feel useful for seems like my help could be used, here, more than anywhere else. If you don;t want to train me, I understand. But, surely, someone else would, right?"

"I'll train you. I just assumed you would quit."

"Never assume." She smiled, repeating his previous statement.

"Alright. Let's get back to work, then."


	7. Dirty Little Secret

**This was my favorite part of the rough draft, and it's still my favorite part typed. :D**

It was like Drakkon was trying everything he could to break her spirit and make her quit. The training became more complex and rigorous the longer she stayed with it. Tsage was determined, however, and mentally prepared herself every day for anything he might throw at her. In fact, preparing herself was taking up most of her free time recently, and she couldn't help but feel that was intended, as well. She was working her mind so much it was hard for her to even sleep. She sighed to herself as she rose from the bed into a sitting position, rubbing her face in frustration. Perhaps she would calm her mind a bit by finding a long-denied meal. With this thought in mind, she stood and wrapped a robe around the simple shirt and pants she wore to sleep before making her way down the halls. Luckily, she had learned the layout of the Citadel enough to travel it in the dark. The kitchen was closed for the night when she reached it, and she cursed quietly, knowing she should have dealt with her hunger earlier in the day. She turned to go back to her room when a faint oragne glow caught her eye. She followed it curiously, coming into the main room to see the fireplace was lit. Drakkon was there, the same broken look to him as the night she had tried to escape. She hesitated slightly before slowly approaching, clearing her throat to alert him to her presence. The last thing she wanted to do was surprise him in that state, again. He rose a brow over to her and she offered a small smile.

"What?" His voice was cold, and it startled her slightly. It was like the life had been sucked out of him.

"I'm sorry, I just.. And chance I could get you to unlock the kitchen?" She asked cautiously.

"The servants have the key. "He replied stiffly. "I have no use for it."

"Oh." She nodded as his gaze returned to the fire and he took a swig from his wine bottle. "You wouldn't happen to want any company, would you? Can't sleep, and I could really use a drink if you can spare any." She tried boldly. He said nothing, but held out the bottle after a moment. Tsage, who had been expecting the opposite, smiled as she took the bottle and downed a few gulps. She hadn't intended to take so much, but the wine was sweet, rather than the sour beverage she was used to. As she handed it back to him, she bravely took a seat on the other end of the couch.

"Why aren't you asleep?" He asked, if only to break the silence.

"Too much on my mind." She replied with a shrug. "And you?'

"Same." He said with a short, understanding nod, taking another gulp from his bottle before handing it back to Tsage again.

"So, if you don;t mind my asking, how did you inherit the throne before your father died?" She asked carefully. This had been something she'd wanted to ask for a while, ever since she learned Nyteshayde and Arthas were both still alive. He looked over to her, and the expression on his pace clearly portrayed the inner conflict of whether or not to tell her.

"My father relinquished it to me, to get me to come back to the citadel." He answered afetr a short while of silence.

"Why? Where were you?"

"In the Outlands, staying with my sister." He said. She began to ask why, but stopped herself when he gave her a look. It wasn't one of anger, or threatening at all. Whether he meant to do it or not, the look came off rather pleading. She gave a nod, attempting to seem satisfied with what he had told her. When, in fact, that look she saw on his face only made her more curious.

"You know, this place is nothing like I imagined it would be." She changed the subject, and she saw a small flash of relief flash over his face.

"That means everyone's doing their jobs." He said.

"I don't understand it." She said, a look of confusion crossing her features. "You all apparently want the rest of Azeroth to view you as brutal savages.. Only hell bent on destroying everything in sight.. But if they knew how civilized and level headed you really are.. Peace could be possible." She tried, and Drakkon scoffed.

"There's no such thing as peace." He said. "As long as back stabbers, liars and power crazed individuals roam about, it cant exist."

"But, they could be dealt with."

"Until they group together. Then it would be all out war, again." This left Tsage without reply. It was true. The shocking reality of Drakkon's distrust in humanity, however, bothered her. It was quite clear something had warped part of his mind. Something other than simply growing up in the citadel, for that wasn't as bad as she had previously assumed. Her stomach growling broke her thoughts, and she frowned, wishing she hadn't waited until the dead of night to decide to eat. There was suddlenly a small flash of light from beside her, and she looked over to find Drakkon holding out a small loaf of bread. She smiled as she took it and gratefully began eating. She had nearly forgotten he was a mage, and could conjure food and drink.

"Thank you." She offered, and he gave a small nod. They sat in silence as she ate, both watching the flames dance in the fireplace and passing the bottle of wine back and forth until there was none left, at which point it was tossed into the fire. Not long after that, Drakkon rose from the couch with an announcement that he was going back to fleshwerks. Tsage stayed on the couch, enjoying the comfortable heat from the fire far too much to move.

Tsage was jolted awake when a hand touched her shoulder, and her eyes shot open to see Valeah, looking a bit upset. Tsage quickly sat up, she must have dozed off after Drakkon had left.

"Hey, Val." Tsage tried. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you, but.. Do you know where my dad is? He's usually out here..." Valeah spoke, looking a bit timid.

"He mentioned going to fleshwerks." Tsage replied. "Though, I don't know how long I've been asleep, so I don't know if he's still down there."

"I couldn't find him anywhere." Valeah said softly, eyes locking on the doorway. "I guess I'm gonna go down to fleshwerks."

"What? No, it's too late. It's dangerous out there I can;t let you go." Tsage said, holding Valeah in place. Much to her surprise, Valeah's eyes instantly filled with tears."Honey, what's wrong? You can tell me."

"I had a bad dream and..." Valeah tried. "I don't want to be alone." At this, the tears spilled over her cheeks and she lurched forward to wrap her arms around Tsage. "I'm sorry." She cried.

"It's alright, Val, you don't have to be sorry. I understand." Tsage assured, helping Valeah sit beside her and allowing her to cry on her shoulder. They stayed that way for a while before Valeah calmed down. "Are you alright, now, hun? It was just a dream." tsage tried.

"I know." Valeah nodded. "It just felt so real... Dad understands." She paused. "He has really bad nightmares." To this, Tsage rose a brow.

"He does?" She couldn't imagine the lich king having anything to be afraid of. Valeah nodded.

"Yeah. That's why he doesn't sleep."

"But, he has to sleep sometimes, right?" Tsage asked.

"No. He made a potion he drinks every night so he doesn't have to. " Valeah explained as she yawned.

"Do you want to try to sleep again?" Tsage asked, and Valeah tensed up. "Want me to sit in there with you?" She offered. Valeah nodded, and Tsage smiled, taking the night elf's hand helping her down the hall.

Tsage awoke with a stretch as the light hit her, and she opened her eyes to realize she was still in Valeah's room. At least the troubled night elf had gotten to sleep. Tsage moved from the bed, careful not to wake her, and headed out of the room. The citadel was nearly deserted, making her raise a brow.

"Where is everyone?" She asked one of the death knights that was apparently left behind.

"Scouting out an attack plan." He announced. "We've located a weak point in Stormwind." At this, Tsage's heart sank like it had been filled with lead. They were going to attack Stormwind?

"Did Wolfe go with them?" She asked, forcing herself to mask her outrage.

"Of course. He _is_ head of our army." He said.

"And the king?" She asked.

"Down to fleshwerks. He said Lord Wolfe could candle it." Good, at least she would have someone to protest to. She just had to hope he would listen. She nodded a thank you to the knight before continuing past him for the door, immediately taking a frostwyrm to fleshwerks. Her anger smouldered more and more as she flew, and she knew it would be easily readable on her face. To prevent confrontation, she stealthed before going into fleshwerks and went quickly into the cave.

"On what grounds is an attack on Stormwind necessary?" She demanded as soon as she set foot in the lab and unstealthed herself. For once, her presence seemed to startle him, though only for a moment.

"Barging into my lab and scolding me about something you have no say in _is_ necessary?" He asked, setting down the vial he was holding and turning to face her.

"I don't care if it is out of my power. Damned if I'm just going to stand back and let it happen!"

"And what is it that you intend to do?" He asked, looking amused. "I could have the entirety of fleshwerks in here in seconds. You think you can fight all of us?"

"If I need to." She nodded, drawing her daggers. Drakkon's amused look faded instantly into a snarl.

"Have you gone insane? I would destroy you, and you know it."

"Prove it!" She hissed, abandoning all better jusgement and running at him, blades poised. In a flash, the familiar, glowing blue sword known as frostmourne sped through the air, clashing with her blades and knocking her back. She spun, putting full force into her swing, but he blocked her daggers, again. This time, he took a swing of his own with startling precision. She let herself fall to the floor, knowing she wouldn't have had time to dodge or block before the blade pierced her throat. Her heart was racing rapidly. What had she gotten herself into? Drakkon spun the sword around and thrust it down, Tsage gasped and rolled in the nick of time. Frtostmourne plunged into the ground, directly where her chest would have been. Seizing the opportunity, she jumped to her feet, spun, and attempted to kick him away from the trapped blade before he could recover it. She hadn't expected him to abandon it in the ground, grab her foot as she kicked, and flip her to land face-first on the ground. She let out a hiss of pain, but quickly jumped up and swung her blades wildly. Her momentary lapse of time, however, had been enough for him to tear frostmourne from the ground. With a speed she didn't expect, he swung and twirled the blade to black every one of her attacks. Taking a great risk of injusy to herself, she leapt onto one of the tables and jumped over him, spinning and slashing her blade as she landed. Had he been only one second faster, he may have been able to stop the blade from slicing into his shoulder.

He growled in anger and a bright flash momentarily blinded her. She swung a blade blindle, afraid he may take advantage of her momentary impairment, and, as her blade hit his, a sharp shock ran through her body, making her cry out in surprise and pain. As her vision returned, her heart leapt to her throat. His mechanical hand was emitting large electrical surges that were magnified by the sword. She had been electrocuted. She had to get that blade away from him, somehow, to dampen the effect. She ducked and dodged his attacks as she tried to think of a solution. The room, itself, became dangerous. Anything that was able to conduct electricity, did. The room took on the effect of a concentrated lightning storm. As the adrenalin fueled her like never before, she turned and ran directly at him, taking him off guard enough that she was able to tackle him to the floor, effectively causing him to drop his weapon. As it clattered away across the ground, he used his, now free, electrified hand to clamp around her throat. This was not something she had been expecting, and she realized that it was much worse than the initial shock from his sword. Having no natural limitations, the mechanical hand was able to tighten around her throat stronger than a normal hand. There was a deep, manic wildness behind his eyes that sent a chill down her spine. Within a few seconds, she felt her head spinning and her vision was blurring. Attempting one last shot at swinging her blades, one clashed with the mechanical arm while the other pierced his other arm.

She was quite surprised when he let out a snarl of pain and dropped her. The way her blades had hit him, the electric shock had passed through her and hit him. Feeling triumohant, she dove at him. Drakkon wasted no time in casting a large bolt of frost to collide with her chest, pushing her back to hit the wall. Before she could so much as blink, he teleported in front of her, ripped the daggers from her hands and slammed them clear to the handles into the cave's wall. The loud crack created by it rang in her ears and her blood pulsed heavily. Drakkon death gripped frostmourne back into his hands and swung immediately. Tsage grabbed a hold of the daggers' handles and pulled herself up, however, though the sword still nicked her leg and left a gash. She faltered and fell back to the floor with a cry of pain. Drakkon drove the blade down, again, and Tsage's attempt to roll out of the way was futile. The blade pierced her shoulder as she tried and effectively pinned her to the ground. Tsage immediately grabbed onto the blade with both hands and pushed it out of her shoulder with gritted teeth. As soon as it was clear of her skin, she rolled, jumped to her feet, and ran at Drakkon. She leapt, spun, and kicked frostmourne from his hands. As she landed, however, he grabbed her and slammed her, hard, back against the wall. He trapped her hands above her head with one hand and reached fro one of her abandoned daggers, tearing it from the wall with such force that debris was ripped from the cave, as well, scattering across the ground. She had been beaten. He was going to kill her. She was going to die, and yet all she could think about was how much the adrenalin rush, her pounding heart, the fight with him, had aroused her.

She quickly jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist and using them to pull his body against hers. He froze as she quickly leaned forward ans locked her lips with his,securing her legs arounf him to hold him in place. After a few moments of initial shock, he dropped the blade and brought his hand to her throat as he broke the kiss. She prepared herself for death, flinching and squeezing her eyes shut. Though, the grip he had on her neck wasn't deadly, only threatening. As she opened her eyes cautiously, it was easy to see she had caught him completely off guard. The beast that had emerged in his eyes only minutes ago while they were fighting was replaced by confusion, and she inwardly smiled. Perhaps her spontaneous actions had saved her life.

She shifted slightly, pressing herself into him, and his grip loosened on her wrists just enough for her to free then. His eyes strayed from hers for a split second to eye the second dagger, still jammed into the wall. She didn't make a grab for it,however. Instead, she slowly ran one hand over his chest, capturing his attention, again. Her other hand moved up to rest on his, and it tightened just slightly around her throat. Though this startled her, she refused to let it show, and only gave a small, seductive smirk in response. That was when she saw it, the small inner struggle in his eyes she had been hoping for. She pressed against him again, linking her fingers around his wrist and tugging gently. After a moment of hesitation he allowed her to pull his hand away from her throat. Her smile grew as she guided his hand down her neck and over her chest, lingering for a bit before continuing to guide it down her side, over her hip and down her leg, all the while keeping her eyes locked to his, watching the usually composed mage struggle against the animal instincts she was trying to appeal to. Suddenly, something within those eyes snapped. His hand tightened against her leg and he pushed her back against the wall. This time, she was left unable to hide her surprise at his actions. She had been beginning to wonder if her attempts were in vein. She regained herself quickly, however, and moved her hands to link around his neck, pulling him into a wild, unrestrained kiss. His hand moved from her leg to her breast, groping roughly and causing her to smile against his lips. She began searching blindly for the clasps of his armor, but stopped in surprise when he pulled her away from the wall, turned, and set her, rather roughly, onto one of the tables in the center of the room, all without breaking their lip lock. Then, there was a sharp rip as he used one of the blades on his mechanical hand to tear open her shirt and tug it from her body, making her breath hitch as the cold metal snaked up her torso in the process. As he ran his hand over her bare chest, she moaned slightly, tightening her legs around his waist. He broke away from her, then, and hooked his fingers around the hemline of her pants, tugging them down and off quickly. The table was cold, and it caught her by surprise, making her take in a sharp gasp.

What happened next went so fast that Tsage barely had time to process it. Drakkon parted his robes , pulled down his pants and entered her harshly. Tsage moaned loudly, immediately gripping his shoulders and bucking her hips against him. He began moving in unrestrained, deep thrusts that sent shocks of pleasure running through her body. She whimpered and moaned, clinging to him and resting her forehead on his chest. As he grabbed a hold of her hips, her body instinctively tried to flinch away from his cold metal hand. This only caused his grip to tighten, and he pulled her forward as he began thrusting harder, making her cry out and writhe in pleasure, her grip tightening on his shoulders. Her muscles stiffened and she moaned loudly as the waves of an orgasm took her. Suddenly, his hand flew to her throat. It certainly scared her, and her hand moved to grip his. Then, she let out a rumbling moan as her orgasm increased, causing her to arch her back and dig her nails into his hand. He maintained his wild thrusts even after her orgasm subsided, and moved his hand to roughly grip her side. Tsage growled slightly, reaching up and pulling him down into a deep kiss, holding the back of his neck with one hand and supporting herself on the table behind her as she began to move to meet his thrusts. She broke the kiss and threw her head back to moan loudly, another orgasm shaking her core. She moved her hand to grab his and bring it back to her throat, hearing him chuckle darkly as he tightened it around her neck. She continued to meet his thrusts even as her trembling muscles protested. Then, his grip tightened as he let out a low growl. She moaned loudly as she felt him flood her with his seed, and her body shuttered as he continued his thrusts, riding out both their orgasms before pulling away from her. With a satisfied smile, she rested back on her hands, closing her eyes and catching her breath. However, when she opened her eyes to look around the lab, Drakkon was nowhere mto be seen.


	8. Conflict

"Tsage!" Wolfe's voice made her jump, and she quickly turned, wide eyed, to see him. How long had she been sitting there, staring into the fire? She stood from the couch to greet him. "How long have you been here? I was looking for you." He asked, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm.. Not sure." She shrugged with a weak smile. "How long have you been back?"

"For a little while. I thought you would be down to fleshwerks working on alchemy." He said, raising a brow. "What happened to you?" He asked, gesturing to the bandage over her shoulder.

"Oh, there were some adventurers outside of fleshwerks." She lied. "Caught me off guard."

"And this?" He brushed his fingers lightly over her neck, and she flinched slightly. She hadn't thought to check if there was a bruise.

"_Completely_ off guard." She said, attempting to sound convincing.

Well, you need to be more careful." Wolfe said, concerned. "You should have that looked at."

"I'll be fine." She assured. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Keep your guard up in that place. It's dangerous." He warned, then his gaze shifted over her shoulder. "I'll be back." He said, looking back to her before moving past her. She turned to see him walking towards Drakkon, who she hadn't even noticed come into the room, and her heart leapt into her throat. Drakkon's gaze quickly shifted from Wolfe to Tsage as Wolfe approached, and she tried to convey that she hadn't said anything about their encounter with a quick shake of her head. She watched carefully as Wolfe came to a halt in front of Drakkon, making her wish she had better hearing. They spoke for only a short while, and Wolfe looked back to her once, making her stomach flip in dread. Then, Drakkon handed something to Wolfe and continued on his way. Tsage watched Wolfe closely as he came back across the room. The paladin didn't show any signs of anger as he stopped before her and held out her dagger. She hadn't been able to free it from the cave's wall before she left fleshwerks.

"Drak said he found this." Wolfe said as Tsage took it and snapped it back to her belt.

"Yes, I.." She struggled. "Thank you. It's late, I should really get some sleep." She hinted, and Wolfe gave a small smile.

"It's alright, you can go to bed. I know how exhausting it can be down there." He said with a nonchalant nod over his shoulder, in the direction of fleshwerks. "Goodnight." She smiled back, giving him a quick hug and a kiss before moving down the hallway and into her room.

Tsage hesitated at the door, her hand hovering at it for a moment before rapping gently.

"What?" Drakkon said from behind it, sending a chill down her spine. She had waited until the dead of night, when everyone else would be asleep or patrolling the walkways outside.

"Could I talk to you?" She asked just loud enough for him to hear her. There was a pause, then the door opened and he rose a brow to her. "Can I come in? I don't want to wake anyone." She asked, and he moved aside, letting her enter before closing the door behind her. He returned to his desk, sitting in a rather comfortable looking chair, propping his feet up on the desk and smoking from the same strange pipe she had seen before.

"Alright.." She began shakily, taking a few steps forward so she wouldn't have to talk as loud. "I just... If you're planning on telling Wolfe could you just get it over with? Id rather deal with the consequences now and get them over with..." She finally blurted.

"Why would I be telling him anything?" Drakkon asked, leaving her a bit befuddled.

"Well, I know you don't like me. I mean.. You would have killed me by now if Valeah hadn't asked you not to. I figured you would tell Wolfe so he would.. Do whatever it is he would do?" She attempted.

"What Wolfe would do.. " Drakkon started. "Is instate a riot. Something I don;t exactly want to have to deal with. Which is also why I assumed you would have said something to him."

"I- Why would I want a riot?" She asked.

"You did come here to kill me, yes? What better way to weaken me then by having my brother turn everyone against me?" Tsage faltered. Would Wolfe truly be able to do that?

"I don't plan on telling him." She said.

"So you say." Drakkon shrugged, taking another puff from the pipe. Tsage frowned, looking to the door before moving forwardto stand on the other side of the desk, earning a look from the mage.

"I don't want to start a riot. I plan to stay here as long as you allow me to." She tried. "What _is_ that?" She asked, nodding to his pipe. Drakkon looked down to it, taking another hit before holding it out to her. She gave it a concerned look, but curiosity got the better of her and she took it. It tasted better than tobacco, which she had tried once simply to defy her mother. She gave a questioning look, then handed it bacl to Drakkon in confusion. As she opened her mouth to speak, her head suddenly spun, and it was almost like she could hear and feel her own heartbeat. As she got light headed, she quickly moved to sit on the edge of the desk. As she heard him snicker, she turned to look back at him. She simply sat with a raised brow, mouth open to speak, but no words came out.

"Something Tonik found a while back." He said in answer to her question. She still sat perfectly still, though it felt like the room was spinning around her.

"What in Azeroth possessed you to smoke it?" She asked.

"Curiosity." He shrugged. She regarded him for a while, watching as he took another hit before she reached out for more. As he handed it back to her, she gratefully took another long drag before holding it back out. She was surprised to find how relaxed it made her. It was as though all stress was lifted and she felt as though she didn't have to worry about anything, anymore. This thought made her smile.

"I'm glad you were curious." She breathed, exhaling the smoke before looking back to him. He only gave a nod in reply. She shifted on the desk, attempting to find a more comfortable position. When she couldn't she tried to rise from the desk, only to have her head spin. She fell back onto the desk, unable to stop herself from laughing. "I can't move." She announced.

"It has that effect." He said with a nod, and Tsage looked back to him with a raised brow.

"Why are you so serious all the time?" She tried.

"It comes with the job." He said, and she shook her head.

"I don't believe you." She said. "I've seen everyone in this place at least crack a smile... But not you." She rose from the desk again, able to find her balance, that time, and crossed the room to collapse on the large bed. She smiled, twisting around on the soft mattress until she found a comfortable position. "Why do you have a bed of you don't sleep?" She asked, looking over to him. He shrugged. "You don't talk much, huh?" At this, his eyes snapped up to meet hers. "You're a mystery." He flinched slightly when she said that, and shifted in his chair. Why had that comment affected him so much?

"It's late. You should be asleep." He said, breaking her thoughts.

"I can't move." She repeated. There was silence for a while, then, and she had never wished more that she could read minds. "You.. You're not OK, are you?" She asked quietly, hoping the question wouldn't anger him.

"Not at all." He answered calmly, and she furrowed her brow.

"Why not?" She tried. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing that you need to know about." The reply wasn't as harsh as he had intended it to be, and that familiar frailty had returned to his demeanor.

"You can talk to me." She spoke, moving into a sitting position. "I mean, we've already got the one secret. I'm trustworthy."

"One is too many." He said pointedly. Her common sense told her to drop it, but she ignored it.

"Does it have to do with you being the lich king?" She asked.

"No."

"Does it have to do with Valeah?" She guessed again.

"No."

"Would you tell me if I guessed right?"

"No." He said, looking over to her. She nodded, looking down to the covers. "So.. Why were you scouting Stormwind?"

"Because they're doing the same to us." He answered. "Should there be an attack, we could have instant retaliation."He said. "And, for furute reference.. Before you come try to attack me over it, you should find out whether or not it was Wolfe's idea."

"It was Wolfe's idea?" She asked, looking up from the covers.

"He's in charge of the army." Drakkon nodded. "Majority of the time, what they do is his idea." Tsage was left slightly dumbfounded. She had automatically thought it was Drakkon's orders that sent the scourge to Stormwind.

"You know, you're really not that bad of a guy." She said, and he rose a brow.

"What makes you think you know me that well?" His question left her speechless, and she struggled. Finally, she moved to lay down again, watching the ceiling as the thoughts spun around in her mind. She though about Wolfe, and his influence on the scourge. She thought about Stormwind, and those she loved who she had been away from for nearly a year and a half. She thought about the original reason she had come to the citadel. Mostly, however, she thought about damaged Drakkon, and why he felt the need to push everyone away. This thought brought another to her mind. Why should she care whether or not he pushed her away?

She sat up, again, opening her mouth to speak before she noticed he was no longer sitting at his desk. The man certainly did have a habit of disappearing. The cold draft, however, alerted her to the fact that the door to the balcony was open. She took a moment to prepare herself before standing and starting towards it. He was standing, leaning on the railing with his head down, watching the grounds below. Tsage moved silently, watching him carefully. It was beginning to seem like he only let his true emotions out at night, when no one else would be awake to see them. Or, perhaps, when he had nothing to do to distract himself from them. Either way, the emotions she saw made him seem so broken that it was a surprise to see him even able to stand up. She stopped beside him, still watching him. He didn't even seem to notice her presence, he was so lost in his own thoughts. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and gently rested a hand on his, catching his attention immediately. She said nothing, and his gaze shifted to her hand on his.

"What are you doing?" He asked after a while, looking back up to her.

"It doesn't seem like you should be alone." She said. Then, his defensive shield, that hard outer shell he wore around his true self, was back up again, and he pulled his hand away from hers and turned to face her.

"Let's get something straight... Just because of what happened, doesn't mean I need to report to you. It doesn't mean I need to talk to you, or tell you what I'm thinking. I don;t need to confide in you, or trust you, and I don;t need your damn company. " He listed angrily, moving towards her and effectively making her back up into the room, again. "I don;t need anything from you. From _anyone_ for that matter. So, for your own safety, stop trying to worm your way into my personal life. Understand?" He had backed her all the way to the door, and she gave a quick nod at his question. "Good." He said. "Now, I think it would be best if you left." She nodded again, and moved around as he opened the door to let her out, slamming it behind her as she did so.

She sat alone in the main room. Daybreak was approaching fast, but she found herself unable to sleep. Her mind had been reeling the entire night and she couldn't, for the life of her, stop it from doing so. She had grown rather upset with herself for angering him, though she still wasn't quite sure what, exactly, had set him off. Not only did his anger towards her deplete nearly all the work she had done to get on his good side, but she had also, despite her common sense, grown to see him as a human being. He had feelings and emotions, though he tried to hide them, she knew they were there, now. Death knights and ghouls began to stir around her, snapping her back into reality. After a while of blindly searching for Drakkon, she saw him heading towards the exit and got to her feet.

"What do you want?" he asked sharply as she caught up to walk beside him.

"I just wanted to apologize " She said, earning a raised brow. He didn't stop, or even break his pace, and she struggled to keep up with his long, steady strides. "I didn't mean to upset you. I was just trying to be friendly and-"

"I don't need a friend." He said pointedly.

"I..I know." She nodded. "It's just.." At this, he stopped and turned to stare her down.

"Just what?" He shot.

"Nothing." She said, a defeated tone to her voice. "I promise, I'll leave you alone." Before waiting for a reply, she turned and walked off, leaving Drakkon staring after her with a slightly annoyed confusion.

Tsage watched her feet as she walked, cursing at herself under her breath. She should have just left it alone. She had probably only made it worse.

"Tsage?" Someone spoke, and the rogue quickly looked up to see Silver, wearing a warm smile.

"Oh, hello." Tsage offered, giving an attempt at a smile of her own.

"What's wrong?" Silver asked, and Tsage gave a small sigh.

"It's really nothing to worry about." She shrugged, and Silver rose a brow, gicing Tsage a pointed look. "What's wrong with your brother?" She asked.

"Wolfe?"

"Drakkon." Tsage clarified.

"Oh.. Well, there's a lot wrong with Drakkon." Silver sighed.

"Like what?"

"Well, I wouldn't be a good sister if I just went around telling people things he doesn't want them to know." Silver tried. "He's just.. Had a lot piled onto his plate over the years. More than any one person should have to deal with. There's just some things.. A lot of things.. He likes to keep private. If you really want to know, you'll have to get him to tell you, himself."

"Well, the thing is.. I think I really pissed him off by trying." Tsage said.

"It would." Silver nodded. "You would have to be on his good side before he would even consider it."

"I thought.. We were getting along fine."

"Drakkon, he's been faking basic human behavior for years, now. Even if you may have thought.." Silkver paused, searching for the right words. "He doesn't trust anyone. Not even Wolfe or myself, most of the time. My guess is that it's his way of making sure he never gets dissappointed. It's like he wears a constant mask to block everyone else out, to keep them away from any part of his true self." Tsage nodded. Perhaps the times when she had seen him looking so broken and worn out were the times when that figurative mask was off. "However," Silver added with a smile."There is one way to fast-track your way onto his good side." At this, Silver nodded across the room. Tsage followed the gesture to see Valeah speaking with a few of the servants."Honestly, I think she's the only thing that keeps him sane, anymore. If what I've heard is correct, she's the only reason you were kept alive?"

"Yes. She asked him not to kill me." Tsage nodded.

"Well, I've also heard that Val's grown quite fond of you. So you're nearly there, already."


	9. Going Home

Under Silver's advisement, Tsage began o spend more time with Valeah. The young night elf was, at least, very easy to get along with. Despite living within such a dreadful place, she maintained a friendly, joyous personality. It didn't take long before Valeah was asking for Tsage by name to cook her meals, fix her clothes, escort her to places or, even, just to chat. As Silver had predicted, these actions caught Drakkon's attention. Though, at first, he was suspicious and slightly paranoid, always having someone keep an eye on their activity. This uneasiness wore off, however, and the two were left alone. It became clear that, as long as it brought a smile to Valeah's face, it was fine.

Wolfe didn't quite understand it, but he didn't view it as malicious, either. He had been the first person that Drakkon commanded to watch them. Though, he had cleared it as innocent quickly and returned to his prior duties. Tsage had no doubt that Wolfe was still the main source of information as to what the two did, however.

""Hey, Tsage?" Valeah asked, snapping the rogue out of her thoughts. She had been sitting in front of the fireplace, finishing her meal. Valeah gave Tsage a smile that she had quickly learned meant she wanted something she couldn't have.

"Yes, Val?"

"You know how to fly dragons, right?" Tsage nodded. "Is there a chance you could take me somewhere?"

"Like where?"

"I don;t mind. I just would like to get out of the citadel for a while, you know?" Tsage faltered. Indeed, this was something Valeah couldn't have. "Oh, please?" Valeah tried as she notice's Tsage's expression. "I'm not going to try to run off. I won't cause any trouble. Please?"

"Val."

"We don't even have to land! We could just fly around for a while."

"We should at least check with your father." Tsage attempted.

"He's busy at fleshwerks. He wouldn't even know." Valeah said quickly, giving Tsage a pleading look. Tsage sighed in defeat, and Valeah gave a squeal of joy.

Tsage only took a flight around the icecrown, despite Valeah's requests to visit the bordering areas. She stopped briefly on a secluded mountain, where they quickly became enveloped in a massive snowball fight that, they felt, lasted only a few minutes. The sky, however, told the truth as it began to darken quickly. Though she was a bit anxious about getting back so late, she remembered that Drakkon often didn't return to the citadel until the early morning hours. The flight took a bit longer, due to harsh winds that had picked up, as they always did, at night. The citadel was almost eerily quiet as they came in, and the main room was completely deserted. A yawn from Valeah caused Tsage to lead her back to her bedroom.

"Today was a lot of fun." Valeah smiled as she crawled into bed. "Thank you so much."

"I had fun, too." Tsage nodded. "Goodnight, Val."

""Night, Tsage." Valeah said as she cuddled into her covers and Tsage left the room. Tsage wandered the halls back to the main room before she was snatched by her wrist and tugged roughly into a side room. Her heart skipped a beat and she turned to see an angered Drakkon.

"Where the hell were you two!" He demanded.

"Just.. Around Icecrown, she-"

"And it didn't cross your mind to check with me, first?" He snarled, and Tsage flinched.

"Val said you were busy and I didn't want to bother you."

"Then you shouldn't have gone at all!"

"We just flew around, I didn't think-"

"No, you didn't think! How could you do something so damn foolish!"

"She just wanted to get out of the citadel for a while. His tone was really beginning to frighten her. "I had it under control..."

"And what if you hadn't!" He shot. "You've only been here for a year and a half, and how many attacks have you seen? Here, fleshwerks, the death gate... And you still think it's safe to take Valeah out there!" Tsage flinched. "How the hell would you have had things under control if they came after you two!"

"I don't- I'm sorry." She breathed.

"Sorry?" He hissed. "You really want to know what happened to me? I had to watch too many bad things happen to too many people I cared about! Completely powerless to do anything! It happened to my mother, my sister, and my wife.. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let anything happen to Valeah!" it wasn't his tone that was making her uneasy, anymore. It was the raw fear that she could easily read behind his eyes. "Something bad could have happened tonight! And all you have to say for it is _sorry_!"

"But, I am. I promise. I meant no harm. I would never want anything bad to happen to her, I swear." Tsage rushed. "I wasn't thinking, and I should have been. It will never happen again."

"You had better hope not." Drakkon snarled. "If something happens to her because of your lack of better judgment... I'll do a hell of a lot worse than just kill you." At this, he pushed past her and left the room. Tsage let out her breath, trying to calm her nerves and she cast a glance after him, out the door. Was that it? Everything she had been working for had erupted in her face. No, she wouldn't accept that. She took a few minutes before following after him. Though she couldn't see him, she was certain she would find him in his study. She hesitated only slightly at the door before quietly pushing it open. She could see him on the balcony, and she carefully re-closed the door before starting towards him. She stopped at the balcony doorway and gave a clear of her throat to catch his attention. He only gave a short look back to her before returning his gaze over the railing. This made her slightly relieved. If he had truly despised her, he would simply tell her to leave. She continued her way onto the balcony to stand beside him, shifting her eyes between him and the ice covered grounds below.

"What do you want?" He asked finally, breaking the silence. His tone wasn't harsh, like she had expected it to be.

"I don't want you to hate me over this." he tried. "It was a mistake. A horrible mistake, but a mistake none the less. I mean, I know how it feels." She said cautiously.

"You know how what feels?" He asked, the harsh undertone she had been expecting reared it's head.

"My son was killed." She said quietly, and he finally looked over to her. "He was.. I had to travel abroad, due to my profession. I thought it was too dangerous to leave him behind without me. Our ship was attacked and he.. Didn't make it." She paused as tears stung her eyes. She hadn't spoken a word about the tragedy in years. "And if I had simply left him behind in the care of my mother, or... It was all my fault. I just.. Wanted to let you know I've been through it and I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. Not even my worst enemy." She said, looking up to him. "That's the only proof I have to offer. To show you that I'll never do anything like that again, and I _am_ sorry."

"So am I." He said after a short pause, and she attempted to give a smile that failed horribly. As he returned inside, she took a moment to collect herself before following. Now that she recognized the scent, she wasn't as concerned to find the pipe in his hand. As she approached, he held it out for her. She took a deep drag and held it in her lungs as long as she could. The familiar head rush was definitely well welcomed. Especially due to the awful place her mind had just been. She took another, smaller hit before handing the pipe back to Drakkon and taking a seat on the edge of the desk.

"So.. Is it alright if I ask what happened to them?" She tried cautiously, and Drakkon moved from the doorway to lean against the desk next to her, taking a hit of his own and letting it out a while later in a deep sigh.

"Why?" He asked, raising a brow to her.

"You don't have to tell me. I was just.. Well, curious sounds a bit insensitive."

"When I was youger, my mother and father got into a fight. She ended up locked in the dungeons with a night elf named Kil'sha." Drakkon began. "She was down there for quite a while... Well, Silver and I went down there to see her, and we could hear her screaming. Kil'sha had nearly killed her by the time we got to the bottom of the stairs. There was really nothing anyone could have done to stop it, the bars aren't exactly easy to break. Eventually, Silver was able to find our father and he came down to save her... But the things Kil'sha had done to her, and all I could do was watch it happen." He paused. "My sister saw less of it than I did, but it was enough. She wouldn't admit it outright, but if effected her, too. She spent her time afterward just trying to feel safe, and ended up in a world of trouble doing so. She was in Outlands, and was captured by the half-demon, Illidan Stormrage. " Tsage rose her brows in concern, but Drakkon waved it off. "No, he wasn't the problem. He's been nothing but good to her. She fell in love with him."Drakkon explained briefly. "Once our father found out about where she was and what was going on, he dragged her back here. She tried everything she could to escape and go back to Stormrage. When I returned, she was being monitored constantly. I managed to create a portal to bring her back to Outlands. I didn't go with her, and she ended up in the middle of a fight in Shatterath. She survived, obviously, but it was only because she made herself into the demon you saw her as. If I had gone, I could have helped." He stopped, and Tsage hesitated slightly.

"And.. Your wife?" She asked cautiously.

"I think we've both shared enough for tonight, don't you?" He said. Again, the harshness it was meant with was lost. She gave a nod in reply, and rested her hand on his. Though he didn't acknowledge it, she was glad he didn't move it, or lash out at her as he had the last time.

"It's getting harder to find evidence that you're the monster everyone makes you out to be." She said, gaining his attention.

"Sorry to disappoint you." He said, making her smirk.

"It's a good thing." She nodded. "But, you don't let anyone see this side of you."

"_This_ side?" He asked, and she hesitated.

"The calm, quiet side. That worries about his family and cares about things."

"So, if I'm hiding this side from everyone else.. What makes you think I'm not hiding another side from you?"

"What side?"

"The monster." He replied simply.

"And what reason would you have to hide that side from me?" She asked, a slightly hopeful pang in her chest.

"Because my daughter asked me to." He replied, and the hope was shot down. She moved her hand and moved from the desk, earning a raised brow from Drakkon.

"It's late, I should get to sleep." She said.

"What is it you wanted me to say, Tsage?" He asked, stopping her in her tracks. She looked back to him in shock.

"I don't.." She struggled. "That.. maybe you didn't want me to see that side of you because.. I don;t know, never mind." She shook her head. She wanted to flee from the room, but her legs wouldn't let her.

"Because it's not a side of me I want you to see?" He finished, and her breath caught slightly. "Because I don't want to scare you away?" He moved from the desk, then to approach her. "Because I want you to stay?"He stopped mere inches away from her, and she gazed up at him in silent wonder. "I'm sorry to say it.. But I've only felt that way once. And once was more than enough. Because she did find out about that monster.." He paused. "You asked me what happened to my eye? That's what happened. So I don't hide the monster for those reasons anymore. Yes, people are scared, they run away, and I'm alone. That's the way it has to be, because that dark side is a very large part of me, and it will never change." He finished.

"Only a fool would try to change you." It was all she could think of to say. Drakkon clearly hadn't been expecting it, and she took his state of confusion to rest a hand on his chest. "It sounds lonely.. No one accepting who you really are. I mean, I've already seen the best and worst parts of you-"

"No you haven't." He shook his head. "Trust me. It gets a lot worse than what you saw in my lab."

"Even if it does.." She paused. "It doesn't matter." At this, she snaked her hand up his chest and around to the back of his neck, guiding him forward and standing on her tippy toes to press her lips against his. As she broke the kiss, she looked up at him in slight wonder. "What makes you think you deserve to be alone?" She breathed.

"I'm not a good person, Tsage." He said. "I'm all screwed up, and I'm dangerous."

"I'm not afraid." She said.

"You should be."She smiled, leaning up to kiss him again. This time, he returned it, moving his hands to rest on either side of her waist.

Tsage groaned and ran a hand over her face as she woke, blinding light shining on her. She stretched and yawned before the fact of where she was dawned on her. She opened her eyes and sat up to look around the room. Had anyone noticed her, there? Though, it was unlikely. Due to Drakkon's demands for privacy and respect, no one would have come in unless he let them. He, himself, was nowhere in sight. Tsage picked herself out of bed and gathered her clothes and armor, dawning them before making her way to the door. She hesitated at it, then stealthed before she went out. She couldn't risk anyone seeing her coming out of his room in the morning. Once far enough away, she let the spell fade and made her way to the main room. It was loud, busy, and bustling, catching her off guard. She scanned the room for a familiar face, and approached Wolfe as she spotted him.

"What's going on?" She asked, gaining his attention.

"Drigonna's temple was attacked last night." Wolfe said. "There were quite a few casualties, including the dragon lord, himself." As he said this, a small sniff sounded from beside them, and Tsage noticed Nyteshayde leaning against the fireplace, tears trailing over her cheeks. Though, she looked more enraged, than sad.

"A senseless massacre was what it was." She hissed. "Drigonna has never lead any attacks, only protected his own kind." She looked away from Wolfe and Tsage as Drakkon and Silver approached. The sadness that was lacking in Nyteshayde's face was plastered all over Silver's face, and she rushed forward instantly to wrap her arms around Nyteshayde.

"The survivors say the attack originated from Warsong Hold." Drakkon said. "Gather all you can for retaliation." Wolfe nodded.

"I'm coming with." Nyteshayde announced, gaining Drakkon's attention. Though he looked as though he wanted to protest, he only gave a hesitant nod.

"Me too." Silver added, pulling away from Nyteshayde.

"No, Silver." Drakkon said firmly, and Silver's face twisted slightly as her eyes filled with more tears.

"That's not fair! He was my friend, Drakkon!"

"And that's why you can't come. It's too emotional for you."

"What!" Silver cried. "You're letting mum go!"

"It's different. She wants revenge, and she'll get it. Your defenses will be down.. Because of your state." At this, he gestured between the two blood elves. Drakkon's logic was easily justified. Silve3r looked defeated, already, and Nyteshayde stood rigid and ready to fight. "You should go back home and calm down. We'll handle this." Silver huffed and looked ready to argue, but Drakkon interrupted. "You know you have to listen to me." At this, Silver stepped back reluctantly.

"What should I do?" Tsage spoke up, gaining everyone's attention.

"Well, this is what I've been training you for. You're coming with." Wolfe said.

"No." Drakkon argued, gaining a raised brow from the paladin. "Stay here and keep an eye on Valeah. She has a bad habit of trying to follow the army."

"I'll watch Val." Silver said. "Please? I want to feel useful."

"Good, then Tsage can come with us." Wolfe nodded.

"It's going to be dangerous. She should stay here." Drakkon said.

"She can handle herself." Wolfe said. "And since when do _you_ care about her safety?"

"I don't." Drakkon narrowed his eyes. "But it seems like _you_ should."

"What are you trying to say, Drak?" Wolfe asked, his voice taking on an offended tone.

"Nothing. It's not like you couldn't easily replace her, right?" He rose a brow. Wolfe scowled, taking a threatening step forward. As he did so, Drakkon rested a hand on frostmourne's handle, and Nyteshayde quickly moved between the two.

"Enough." She ordered. "There are more important things to attend to, come on." She said, then looked to Tsage. "You too, if that's what you want to do." At this, Nyteshayde moved past them and gathered the knights as both Wolfe and Drakkon looked to Tsage expectantly.

"I'll be fine. And watching Valeah will give Silver something to do." Wolfe gave a triumphant look to Drakkon, who simply scoffed and muttered something in orcish that made Wolfe's smirk fade into a glare instantly. Then, Drakkon pushed past them to assist Nyteshayde, and Wolfe lead Tsage after.

The fight had been dangerous, but still nothing she couldn't handle. The scourge army retreated after successfully slaying the horde hold's commander, and returned to the citadel just before nightfall. Drakkon and Wolfe seemed to put their fight to rest, though it had already become clear that the two didn't get along well, anyway. Once things had settled down, Tsage worked up the courage to try something she had been meaning to do.

"So.. " She began, gaining Wolfe, Silver, Drakkon, and Valeah's attention, for they were the onesz around attention was set soley on Drakkon, however. "I.. I've been here for nearly two years now.." She began cautiously. "I'm sure my mother is very worried. Would it be alright if I.." She paused, feeling as though she should have never started. "If I just go out and let her know that I'm still alive?" There was a long silence, and then, much to everyone's surprise, Dreakkon nodded.

"What?" Wolfe blurted out of shock. "What the hell happened to my paranoid, overly cautious brother? She could spill her guts about everything!"

"You don't trust me?" Tsage asked, looking to Wolfe.

"Wh- No, _I_ trust you." Wolfe tried. "It's just.. Why are you letting her go?"

"I don't need to explain myself." Drakkon said. "If I say she can go, then she can go." He looked back to Tsage. "Hurry up before I change my mind." Tsage nodded a thank you before getting to her feet and heading for the door. She barely got around the couch, however, before Valeah sprung to her feet.

"Wait!" She called out, bolting forward to stand in front of Tsage as she turned back in question. "You're... Going to come back, right?" Tsage smiled warmly and pulled the night elf into a hug.

"Of course, honey." Tsage assured.

"Promise?"

"I promise." Tsage nodded. "It might take a little while, though. My mother lives all the way in Kalimdor. But, I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?" At this, Valeah nodded with a weak smile, then returned to her spot on the couch beside Silver.

"Alright. Come with me." Drakkon ordered, rising from his seat and moving past Tsage to lead her outside. The drake he called down was just that. A regular, living drake. Nothing that would alert anyone to where she was coming from. Before handing her the reins, he turned to face her. "If you just lied to my daughter, I will hunt you down. Are we understood?" He said, and Tsage was caught slightly off guard.

"You.. Didn't think I would be coming back, did you?" She breathed.

"There's no reason why I would."

"Then.. Why are you letting me go?"

"Whether you were to come back or not.. I know what it's like when a mother is worried. I was away from mine for years, and it tortured her. It'll put her mind to rest to see you and it would stop a search party if one has been sent out, stopping a potential attack on my citadel. I didn't expect you to come back. Valeah, however, now has the impression that you will be. You had better uphold your promise."

"I will." Tsage nodded, taking the reins as Drakkon finally held them out for her. He said nothing else as she mounted and took off.

Tsage landed on the docks, tying the drake to a post before heading through the small town. She made her way quietly. It was late, dark, and everyone was inside their homes. She made her way towards the tall tower in the center and ascended the tower and smiling a hello to those who greeted her with relieved faces.

"Oh, Devon, honey!" Proudmoore called, rushing forward and pulliung Tsage into a tight hug. "I've been so worried about you! I was thinking the most awful things! I'm so glad you're ok."

"I'm sorry, mum. I couldn't make it back until now." Tsage smiled as Proudmoore released her.

"How has it been? I hope it wasn't too horrible. Nothing bad happened, did it?"

"I.. I have a lot to share." Tsage said.

"Alright, we'll go see Anduin now." Proudmoore said and she created a portal to Stormwind.

"It's late, he might be asleep, mum." Tsage said as they walked through the quiet city.

"Oh, nonsense. Even if he is asleep, this is something he would want to be woken up for. You know that." They continued past the stores and over bridges until they finally reached the hold. He wasn't asleep, and smiled widely as the two approached. He moved forward, pulling Tsage into a hug and planting a kiss of her forehead.

"Welcome back, Devon." He said. "We've all been wondering and worrying."

"So I can see." She chuckled as she returned the hug. "I finally made it away to come here, but I have to be quick or it might blow my cover. Is there somewhere we can go to talk?" She asked, looking up to Anduin.

"Of course, this way." He lead them further inside the keep, and they sat at a table before Anduin gestured for her to go ahead.

"Well, first of all, they are far more organized than we originally thought. They have these meetings, at least once every two months or more, if they need. The council is made up of all the biggest names in the scourge and everything gets discussed before an action is taken. Oh!" Tsage's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between the two. "Arthas and Juliet are still alive." At this, Proudmoore and Anduin exchanged concerned looks.

"No... How is that possible?" Proudmoore asked in disbelief. "You told us you were sure you killed Juliet."

"I was... I thought I was.. Apparently, she wasn't even a death knight, yet. All Arthas had to do was take her soul and bring her back." Tsage explained. "I assure you, it's the truth. I've seen and talked to Juliet, myself. And Wolfe has told me, himself, that Arthas is still alive."

"So, Wolfe is the new lich king?" Anduin asked.

"No, Drakkon is. Wolfe is head of their army." Tsage said.

"Just as I predicted." Proudmoore breathed. "I told you the mage would be the one." She added to Anduin.

"How did you know?" Tsage asked.

"He seemed like the type."

"You've met him?"

"Unfortunately." Proudmoore nodded. "He had infiltrated Stormwind, years ago. He was taking advantage of a young night elf's hospitality. When I exposed him for who he was, he unleashed a large crowd of ghouls upon the city. He's an uncontrollable monster. It's no wonder he was chosen, as horrid a creature as he is."

"He's not." Tsage tried, earning raised brows. "I mean.. He's not as ruthless as everyone says. He shows no desire to attack the alliance, or any of Azeroth, for that matter. He's just trying to defend the citadel and those within it. I don;t think he's dangerous at all, really."

"My father's death proves otherwise." Anduin said. "Maybe this is all just what he wants you to think. He doesn't care about the citadel and he certainly doesnt care about those within it. He's the lich king, his only concern is taking over all of Azeroth. Don't let him trick you into thinking any different. He's a monster."

"But-" Tsage began, but Anduin cut her off.

"He would sacrifice any of his own to save himself."

"No, he.." Tsage sighed. "He has too much at stake to try anything risky. I'm sure of it. He's not going to attack unles provoked, I've witnessed it."

"And just what does he have at stake?" Anduin was clearly getting upset.

"Well, family, for starters. His parents and siblings and daughter."

"He has a daughter?" Anduin rose a brow, and Tsage faltered. She hadn't meant to bring up Valeah, she simply got caught up in the conversation.

"Yes, but she has nothing to do with any of it.." She rushed. "Listen, we'll all be fine if we just leave them alone. He's sent troops to scout Stormwind already, so he has a battle plan in case we attack."

"What?" Anduin asked, successfully sidetracked from Valeah. "When was this?"

"Not very long ago." Tsage said. "I really can't stay any longer-"

"No! I don;t want you going back to that dreadful place!" Proudmoore said.

"I have to, mum." Tsage insisted.

"Devon is right." Anduin nodded. "When you go back, keep an eye on Wolfe, as well. If he makes a battle plan, I want to know about it as soon as possible. Also, I want you back here more often, now that they trust you to leave." He was saying as they stood.

"Yes, of course." Tsage nodded.


	10. Let Me In

Tsage entered the Citadel and ignored the knights still awake as she continued down the hall. She stopped in front of a closed door and knocked on it gently.

"I'm still here." Valea's slightly annoyed voice rose from the other side, making Tsage raise a brow. Had the night elf tried to follow her.

"It's me." Tsage said. "Just letting you know that I'm back." At this, Valeah opened the door with a wide smile, and pulled the rogue into a tight hug.

"I knew you would come back!"

"Well, of course. I promised, didn't I?" She chuckled. "Come on. It's lat and you need to get your sleep." She said, leading Valeah back inside and pulling the covers over her as she lay down.

"My dad didn't think you would come back." Valeah announced. "But I believed you." She gave a pointed nod and Tsage chuckled. "Was your mum glad to see you?"

"Yes. Shewas very happy to see I was alright. She was worried."

"What's your mum like?" Valeah asked.

"She's very nice. Supportive and kind hearted." Tsage smiled.

"She sounds like a good mum." Valeah nodded. "I never knew mine... She died when I was born." At this, Tsage's smile faded. "But dad told me I'm a lot like her. He said that she was always happy and smiling and she trusted everyone. That she always saw the good in everyone she met." Valeah smiled. "I'm glad I'm like her."

"So am I." Tsage nodded, her smile returning.

"Even though I never really met her... I miss her." Valeah said. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a mum to tuck me in and tell me stories. Someone to do things like teach me how to do my hair and to make me dresses..." Valeah trailed off slightly. "Do you think she can see me?" She rose a brow, looking to Tsage. "Like, watching me grow up."

"Yes, I'm sure she can." Tsage nodded. "And I'm sure she's very very proud of you." At this, Valeah's smile grew.

"That's what dad says." She grinned. "But, I thought he was just saying that to make me feel better... Is that why you're saying it?"

"No, I truly believe it." Tsage assured. "You are a very kind and caring young woman with so much potential, Val. I know I'd be proud if you were my daughter."

"You know.. " Valeah began. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to a mum." She paused. "I'm glad you came back."

"Well, I'm glad that you're glad. Now, you should really get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." At this, she leaned forward to kiss Valeah on the forhead, saying a quick goodnight before turning out the lights and leaving the room.

"Thank you." Drakkon's voice spoke from beside her, and she turned to see him leaning on the wall beside the doorway. "For letting her know you came back."

"Of course." Tsage nodded. "So.. That's what happened to her mother?" She asked cautiously, and he gave a short nod. "But.. Couldn't you have just made her into a death knight?"

"She didn't want that. If I had, she would have never been happy again." He said. Thought she knew he had done the noble thing by respecting her wishes, she couldn't help but feel it was the wrong decision.

"But.. She knew that would mean you would have to raise Valeah on your own. And that she would have to grow up without a mother." Tsage breathed. "That seems so.. Wrong." At this, Drakkon narrowed his eyes. "I'm not trying to put her down. I'm just saying.. If it had been me. The two of you... Your happiness would have come before mine in a heartbeat." There was a silence, then, before Drakkon moved from his place against the wall to start past her without a word. Tsage cursed to herself. Had she offended him? She sighed, and started after him quickly.

"Drakkon, wait.. I'm sorry, I just-"

"Stop it." He ordered, turning to face her and making her realize she had, in fact, upset him. "You didn;t know her. Don't you dare judge her."

"I- I'm sorry, really..." She tried. He had put his shield back up. The one she had been trying so hard to get past. Though, now, it seemed much weaker and broken. He, himself, seemed much more broken than before, unable, even, to portray the anger he was trying to. Tsage realized with slight astonishment, then, that it had been Valeah's mother that was his final breaking point. He may have been altered by the things that happened to his mother and sister, but it was the death of his wife that had sent him over the edge. He had let her in, trusted her, confided in her.. Then, one day, she was just gone. That was why the shield was even there. So no one else could ever possibly get close enough to hurt him like that ever again. "Drakkon." She breathed. "I'm so sorry." Her tone spoke nothing but honesty, and she could see him relax, if only just slightly Suddenly, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He instantly tensed up when she did so, but she couldn't help herself. It was all so sad.

"Do me a favor. Don't feel sorry for me." At this, he pushed her away and started past her. She, however, grabbed his hand and stopped him, making him raise a brow back at her.

"I think you really need _someone_ to." She said. "I can tell this isn't something you want to talk about, or let anyone see.. And I'm not asking you to. But living like you do, without anyone to care.. That's the saddest thing I've ever seen."

"It's not your problem."

"Maybe not, but you shouldn't have to deal with it all by yourself, either." She paused, hesitantly letting go of his hand and hoping it wouldn't prompt him to leave.

"What is wrong with you?" His question caught her off guard, and she couldn't even begin to answer it. "This doesn't concern you. It isn't your problem. Why try to fix it?"

"Because it's hurting you." She said quietly. There was pause, and she could tell he was pondering her answer. "I don;t want you to have to deal with this alone, it isn't fair." She shook her head. "No one should have to be alone. Without someone there to simply be yourself around, I don;t understand how you can even stand, let alone raise your daughter and run a kingdom. It would be torture. But, there's nothing I can do to help unless you let me." She tried, knowing well that letting her in would be a large step, in itself. She could already see the struggle within him as she said so.

She moved forward slowly, this time, and placed his hands on her waist before wrapping her arms around him. He didn't push her away, but still tensed a bit as she rested her head on his chest. After a short while, he moved his hands from her waist to wrap his arms around her shoulders, causeing a smile to play at the corners of her lips. She felt his tension fade slowly, and he eventually relaxed into her embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head and stroking her hair as she shifted her hold to lean into him.

"See?" She breathed quietly. "It's not that hard." She moved her arms and felt him tense, again. Tsage, however, simply linked them around the back of his neck and eased him forward. He relaxed again as she settled back into him and gently nuzzled her against his before resting her head on his shoulder. He tightened his grip around her slightly as he leaned forward to rest his head in the crook of her neck, making her grin as he trailed light kisses over her skin. His lips traveled over her neck and along her jawbone before finding hers. She instantly melted into the kiss and snaked her hands from the back of his neck to rest on his chest. His grip loosened on her har and he brought his hand up to rest on her cheek, making her smile against his lips. They broke their kiss with a few shorter ones, and Tsage reluctantly pulled away from him, taking his hand in hers and leading him down the hall a ways to his room. As they shut the door, she paused to give him another series of short kisses before tugging him gently towards the bed. She pulled him down on top of her as she settled onto it, and captured his lips with hers, again. She ran her hands over his back and down his arms, arching her back slightly to press herself against him. He used one arm to prop himself up, and sent his free hand down her side, over her thigh, and back up to caress her breast, breaking their kiss to trail more over her neck and collarbone.

She bucked her hips against him and moaned softly as his hand tugged at the ties to her shirt and swiftly undid them. He moved from her just enough to tug her top off, then ran his hand over her bare torso, She shuttered as his fingertips trailed over her skin and his hand came to rest on her hip. He leaned forward again, to trail light, feathery kisses over the same path his hand had just traveled, causing her to moan quietly, tilting her head back and biting her bottom lip. As he moved back up to hover over her, he caught her lips in a kiss and his hand moved from her hip to the ties on her pants. Tsage's own hands traveled over his chest to undo his robes and push them off, casting them aside before running her hands over his bare back. He moved from her to tug off her pants, running a hand back up her leg as he returned to the kiss. As his hand brushed her womanhood, she moaned into his mouth and arched her back, pressing her bare chest against his. As he ran a finger over her clit, she moaned again, digging her nails into his back slightly. He broke their kiss to trail them over her neck as he began to move his finger slowly, eliciting moans and whimpers of pleasure from her as he did so. He continued as her breath began to catch and she gripped his shoulders. Her core pulsed and throbbed in eagerness and she moaned loudly as an orgasm hit her. Her grip tightened on his shoulders and she arched her back again as she writhed in pleasure. He captured her lips in a wild, passionate kiss as she bucked her hips against his hand, shaking slightly. He moved his hand to push down his pants and entered her quickly, causing her to break their kiss in a moan, and she bucked her hips again. Drakkon growled slightly in arousal as he began to thrust into her slowly, making her gasp and moan in approval.

Tsage moved her hands from his shoulders to guide his face back to hers, pressing her lips to his as she let out a few muffled whimpers. His hand trailed over her body to rest on her hip as he continued his steady, tantalizingly slow thrusts, sending shocks and shutters through her body as he did so. She moaned as he pressed into her deeply, and she linked her arm around his back, bucking her hips to push him even deeper. His hand moved to her breast as he continued his deep thrusts, making her moan and whimper as pleasure ran though her. She lifted her hips off the bed slightly, angling his entry and causing her breath to hitch. He moved his lips from hers to nuzzle his face into the crook of her neck as he began to thrust faster. She moaned loudly as another orgasm took her, causing her to tilt her head back and moan, body shaking in pleasure. She moaned and writhed, running her hands over h2is back and straining her muscles as her core continued to pule in happy contractions. As her orgasm began to fade, she moved quickly to flip Drakkon onto his back. She gave him a quick, yet wild kiss before sitting straight and beginning to rotate her hips. Drakkon's hand traveled over her chest and down her side before he rested both hands on her hips as she continued to move on top of him. She moaned as he began to thrust, meeting her motions and sending a chill through her body.

She ran one hand over him to rest on his cheat, steadying herself as she rode him. As he continued his thrusts, she felt her muscles tighten again, and she moaned loudly, continuing her own movements without restraint. She shifted quickly and bent down to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, running her hand from his chest to the side of his neck. His grip moved from her hips to wrap his arms around her, holding her in place as he continued his thrusts, harder and deeper and causing her to moan and whimper into his mouth. As his thrusts became less restrained, she broke their kiss to cry out in pleasure as her orgasm heightened. She heard Drakkon's deep growl as he stiffened and flooded her, causing her to moan again as he rode out their orgasms. As he stopped, she began to move from him. Drakkon, however, captured her in another deep kiss that caused her to melt back into him. As they broke their kiss, she moved from him to lay in bed nest to him, resting her head on his chest as they both caught their breath. She smiled slightly as she swiveled herself to cuddle into his side, running her fingers over his chest and causing him to shutter slightly. She giggled quietly and tilted her head up to look at him. She was surprised at how relaxed he looked., head resting back, eyes closed, and, if it could be believed, the ghost of a smile on his face. She felt rather accomplished, at that point. It was the first time she had ever seen such peace within him, and she was proud to have helped him reach it. She continued tracing small circles and swirls over his chest with her finger until she noticed his breathing become steady, and complete relaxation took over his body. She looked up to him again in shock, He was asleep. Her smile widened slightly, glad to see him finally letting himself rest. She didn't even want to breathe, afraid to wake him. Though, the ominous glow of the rising sun plagues her mind. She should get out of his room before someone noticed. She moved as carefully as she possibly could,and began to slide from bed before a low groan stopped her. She looked back to find that peaceful look gone. His brow was furrowed, and a frown was displayed on his lips. He was still asleep, however. She glanced to the door, and the light outside, pondering silently.

"Don't go." He grumbled quietly, and she looked back to him. His eyes were still closed, and he looked quite troubled. Was he talking to her, or was he talking in his sleep? Either way, she couldn't leave, then. Hearing him say those words had made it impossible. She scooted back into bed and pulled the covers over them as she settled back into his side.


	11. Bloodsoaked

Drakkon's swore loudly as he registered where he was. He knew before he even opened his eyes. The all familiar dark forest, rolling white fog and violet sky. He had forgotten to take his potion. He stayed still, focusing only on waking up.

"Drakkon..." He spun quickly as she said his name, and it felt like his heart had leapt into his throat. She was sitting beside a small pond, though it seemed to be filled with blood, instead of water. Her violet hair was down, falling in sweeping curls over her shoulders and ending near her waist. Her lavender skin was flawless and shining under the moonlight, and her golden eyes were fixed on Drakkon with a look of slight pain.

".. Jaimee?" Drakkon breathed as he found his voice. She rose from the rock she was sitting on, the long white, bloodstained gown she wore flowing out around her as she started to walk towards him.

"Drakkon, how could you do this to me?" She spoke, shaking her head as she continued her path towards him. "You've replaced me.. And Valeah replaced me.. How could you let that happen?" Drakkon struggled, unable to find the words. "I thought I was important to you. I thought you loved me." A lone tear rolled over her cheek. "Why would you disgrace my memory like that." She finally reached him, and reached out a hand to rest on his cheek. "How could you just forget about me?"

"I could never forget about you." Drakkon finally found his voice. "Jaimee.. What are you doing here?" He tried.

"You replaced me." She continued, ignoring his question.

"No, I haven't!" He insisted, holding her by the shoulders. "I would never replace you. I love you."

"You just let her come in and take my place.. How could you do that?" She asked, voice remaining calm even as another tear fell. She moved away from him, turning and walking away. Drakkon stood, frozen for a minute, before taking a few steps after her.

"Jaimee, please. Don't go." He tried, catching up to har and forcing her to turn around. "Don;t leave me." She simply shook her head.

"There's no place for me in your heart anymore.. " She breathed. "I'm not leaving you, you're pushing my memory away." At this, she seemed to fade away into the fog that surrounded them, leaving Drakkon standing alone, holding nothing. He stood still for a while, unable to believe what had happened. Then, a dark cackle rose from the darkness behind him that he easily recognized. Drakkon spun quickly with a snarl.

"You think that's funny you son of a bitch!" Drakkon roared to the large night elf.

"Indeed I do." He drawled in reply. "Quite funny." Drakkon growled, sending a spell at Kil'sha in anger. Kil'sha laughed more, the spell having no effect on him. "When will you learn. You can never beat me, here..." He paused, drinking in the pain and hatred radiating from the mage. "This brings me to a queation, however." He said, taking a few steps forward. "Where do you get off trying to supress me!" Kil'sha snarled, eyes flashing and his amused smirk turning quickly into a dangerous glare. "You think you can just block me out? Avoid me by depriving yourself of sleep?" At his outburst, roots sprang from the ground to tangle around Drakkon's feet and hold him in place. "I will not be ignored!" With this, Kil'sha's nails grew significantly into twisted, pointed branches caked with thorns. He lashed out in rage, and the growths tore through Drakkon;s upper arm easily, leaving a deep, brutal gash. Drakkon snarled in pain, immediately grabbing the area. As Kil'sha took another swing, Drakkon moved his body so that the thorns would tear through the roots holding him. Though they also cut through his feet a bit, he was freed, and immediately took off running despite the pain.

"You can't hide from me!" Kil'sha called after him, the dark, demonic undertone rising to his voice. Drakkon ran until he found somewhere, anywhere, that would offer coverage."Ready or not, here I come!" He ducked between the close gathering of trees and bushes and caught his breath, examining his wounds to make sure they weren't life threatening. He heard branches and leaved crumble and break with the elf's steps, and ducked further into his hiding place and held his breath. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Kil'sha called, and the trees around Drakkon suddenly sprang to life. Their branches shot down like daggers, tearing through him and holding him into the air. "See..." Kil'sha snickered as he made his way over, stopping directly in front of the wincing mage. "I'm a pro at this game/" Drakkon opened his eyes to glare at the night elf. "It's a pity that our little game has to come to an end, though. I think it's high time I finish what I started. And what better place to begin," He said, bringing a twisted claw up and pressing it into the exact spot Kil'sha had stabbed him with the sword so many years ago. "then where I left off." As the claw pierced his skin, Drakkon cried out in excruciating pain. Drakkon kept his eyes closed, repeating over and over again to himself in his head to wake up. As Kil'sha started to drag the claw through Drakkon's chest, he finally forced himself out of the dream and back into reality.

Drakkon grit his teeth as he woke in his soft bed, laying still for a while in an attempt to bit past the pain, before he moved out of bed and to his feet. Clearly, he hadn't made much, if any, noise in his sleep, that time, for Tsage was still curled on the other side of the bed asleep. He let her, not bothering to wake her for help. He didn't need anyone's help. The only thing on his mind, at that point in time, was making it to his lab to take the potion he had forgotten to the previous night. He needed to prevent himself from falling back asleep. He tugged on his armor, struggling slightly from the pain. As he finished dressing himself, he immediately headed out of the room, through the halls, and towards the exit before his vision blurred and he collapsed.

Tsage woke as she heard commotion outside of the room. She stretched and yawned, getting to her feet and pulling on her armor. She noticed something om her arm and rose a brow. It was blood, slightly dried, but blood all the same. She gasped, checking for a cut but unable to find one. It was only when she turned and saw the state of the bed that her hands flew to her mouth and she suppressed a scream. There was blood covering the sheets, and a trail running over the floor and coating the door handle. Panicked, she followed it, opening the door quickly and following the trail into the main room. There, she found a large pool of it and then, what looked like a dragging mark leading into a large crowd of preoccupied death knights.

"Drakkon!" She called, bursting through the crowd to see what they were gathering around. Drakkon sat in a chair, awake, but completely out of it. He looked like he had no idea what was happening, a slight glaze over his eyes. Silver was standing beside him, tears in her eyes and hands over her mouth. Wolfe was kneeling before him, attempting to talk to him and using healing spells to attempt to stop the bleeding. Tsage felt her chest tighten, and she immediately ran over, resting a hand on his shoulder and bending into his line of sight.

"It's no use. He's comatose." Wolfe spoke as soon as she touched him. She whipped around to look at Wolfe in concern.

"What the hell happened to him!" Tsage asked.

"We aren't sure, we came out here in the morning and found him over there." Wolfe nodded towards the large puddle of blood.

"Drakkonus!" Nyteshayde's voice rose from the crowd as she arrived at the citadel. The crowd quickly moved to allow her through and she pushed both Wolfe and Tsage out of the way to collapse to her knees before her son, placing a hand on either side of his face. "Drakkon, honey, please.." She tried.

"Mum." Wolfe tried.

"Who did this!" She demanded, refusing to move from her place.

"Where's the damn priest?" A rough, angered growl came from the same place Nyteshayde had appeared from. "Isn't this the sort of thing the bastard should be around for?" As the former lich king, Arthas, came into vies, Tsage immediately jumped back to become part of the crowd, watching him in fear.

"We couldn't find him." Wolfe said. "I've been trying, but.. Well, this isn;t what I'm good at."

"He's bleeding faster than you can heal him." Arthas said, taking a potion and tilting Drakkon's head back to force him to drink it. "Go find the priest." He demanded, and Wolfe immediately obeyed.

"He's going to bleed to death!" Nyteshayde cried, still attempting to shake Drakkon out of his trance. "They aren't going to get the priest in time. " At this, she looked to Arthas.

"Give Wolfe a while longer to find him." Arthas said, looking angrily towards the crowd. "There would be a better chance if the worthless onlookers would help find him." Instantly, the crowd began to disperse.

"Tsage!" Silver called, motioning her quickly over. Tsage hesitated, but moved around to stand beside Silver. The blood elf instantly leaned on her, and the rogue put her arms around her in comfort. It was taking far too long. Drakkon was paling my the second, and no one had returned with news of the healer. Finally, Arthas snarled to himself and left the room, leaving Nyteshayde panicking slightly in his wake. Silver noticed this, and quickly moved to her mother on the floor. When Arthas came back, Silver quickly moved Nyteshayde out of the way upon seeing what he was carrying. Tsage gave a short gasp when she saw it, as well. The glowing blue blade of frostmourne.

"Don't let her watch this." He ordered to Silver, who quickly lead Nyteshayde from the room completely. Once gone, Arthas flipped the blade around and sunk it into Drakkon's chest, making Tsage's stomache flip and her hands flew to cover her mouth. As Arthas withdrew the blade, it glowed with a brighter blue, as did the inside of Drakkon's deeper cuts. After a small incantation, many of the smaller wounds closed over, and Drakkon began breathing again. The bleeding slowed considerably once the transformation took hold. Though the wounds still looked horrid. Suddenly, before Silver and Nyteshayde could return to the room, Arthas whipped the sword around to point at Tsage.

"Who the hell are you!" He demanded.

"D-Devon Tsage." She answered quickly, eyes wide.

"Where did you come from?"

"Kalimdor." She answered again, looking from the blade to him. It was in the instant that their eyes locked that something flashed behind him. He knew. The horror that crossed her face, then, most likely confirmed it.

"You were in there with him. What happened?"He demanded. How did he know. Her question seemed to be readable on her face, and he narrowed his eyes. "You have dried blood on your arm and shoulder." He said briefly. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything!" She announced. "I just woke up and... there was blood everywhere I don't know what happened!"

"Something like this just doesn't happen to someone. And a person in the same damn room would have to notice something! Tell me what happened or I _will_ kill you!" Arthas growled.

"I'm telling the truth, honest! I have no idea!" Tsage panicked.

"She's not lying." Drakkon's voice was coarse as he spoke, gaining both of their attention. "She didn't do anything."

"Then what happened?" Arthas asked.

"I.. My claw went haywire." Drakkon lied. "I must have broken it on something, or disconnected a wire."

"If it was your claw, why didn;t it hit the rogue?" Arthas asked, and Drakkon immediately looked up to his father.

"She's lucky, I guess..." Drakkon replied. "Don't say anything to anyone."

"I won't." Arthas said, then gave a quick glance to Tsage before looking back to Drakkon. "We need to talk about something, later." He said, and Drakkon gave a nod, though looked curious. "Juliet." He called, and only moments later Nyteshayde ran back into the room, immediately pulling Drakkon into a hug. He looked like it caused him a lot of pain, but he allowed her to do so.

"Don't scare me like that ever again! What happened!" She asked, finally releasing him.

"His claw short circuited." Arthas said. Nyteshayde was quick to believe it, giving a frown.

"I told you I didn't like that thing!" She said.

"Tsage." Silver called from the doorway. Tsage looked up to see the warlock gesture her over, and gave one last look to Drakkon before going over. "Come with me." Silver said, turning and leading her out of the room and into a secluded area. "I want to know what really happened."

"I.. What makes you think I would know?" Tsage tried.

"I'm not a fool, Tsage." Silver said. "Drakkon is my brother. I can read him like a book. I know there's something going on between the two of you." She paused. "Please, what happened?"

"I.. I don;t know. I was asleep when it happened." She replied. "When I woke up, there was blood all over. On the sheets, on the floor and the door handle... I followed the trail out to the main room, and that's when I found the crowd. It must have been something quiet."

"Silver." Drakkon's voice rose from beside them. "She really doesn't know." He insisted. "Let me talk to my sister." He said, looking to Tsage. She hesitated, but nodded and obediently left the room.

"What happened, Drak?" Silver tried.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth." Drakkon said, and Silver scowled.

"Will it happen again?"

"No." Drakkon said. "I won't let it." She still seemed unsatisfied, but nodded anyway.

"What's going on between you and Tsage?" She changed the subject.

"I don't think that should matter."

"It does. Do you love her?"

"That doesn't matter, either."

"Yes it does." Silver said. "It matters because Wolfe does. And, if you don't then You need to stop it."

"Wolfe doesn't love her." Drakkon scoffed. "You know how Wolfe is with women."

"It's different, this time. I can tell from the way he talks about her. This isn't fair to him. If you don't break it off with her then I will tell Wolfe."

"Like hell you will." Drakkon shot. "Keep your mouth shut."

"I can;t just stand by and let it happen behind his back, Drakkon."

"Reminds me... Who was it that helped out out of the damn citadel to get back to Stormrage?" Drakkon hissed.

"Drak.." Silver breathed, looking slightly hurt. "You know I appreciated that, but-"

"I'll never forgive you if you say anything." At this, Silver looked defeated. "Now, Dad wanted to talk to me, so I've got to go."

"I don't trust the rogue." Arthas said as soon as he and Drakkon were alone.

"Why?" Drakkon asked, raising a brow.

"In my opinion, she should be disposed of as soon as possible."

"What, kill her? I can;t do that she saved Valeah's life." Drakkon tried.

"She's a danger to the citadel. You can't keep her here, and you can't just let her go."

"She's already been out of the citadel once. Nothing bad happened." At this, Arthas frowned.

"You don't know that." He muttered. "Alright, if you let her leave again, follow her. I guarantee you'll find out she's up to no good."

"If she was going to do something, I think she would have by now. " He paused. "But, I'll follow her next time, if it makes you feel better." To this, Arthas gave a nod.


	12. Breaking Point

**This will be the last chapter of this story. I actually just wrote the rough draft of this last night, because I had stopped when I was writing it before. I'm actually pretty pleased with it. And, before anyone asks.. I do plan on writing another story, and maybe one more after that but I'm not sure yet.**

Unsure of what Arthas had told Drakkon, Tsage did her best to avoid him for a while. She assumed it was nothing good, however, seeing as how Drakkon seemed to be doing the same. However, if Arthas had told Drakkon who she was and where she came from, it seemed like she would have been thrown back in the dungeons, or worse. It had been nearly a month, but nothing had happened. Perhaps Drakkon hadn't believed it. Or, possibly, she simply imagined that Arthas had known who she was. Tsage assumed the worst, however. She spent the majority of her time around Wolfe. At least, if something happened, Wolfe would be there to protect her. When Wolfe wasn't around, she stayed close to Valeah. Surely Drakkon wouldn't try to harm her in front of his daughter, would he? Tsage found it annoying that, in a split second, she was just as scared and timid as when she had first arrived at the citadel.

She had decided that she couldn't take the waiting anymore, and resolved to go speak with Drakkon. She had been standing beside the door to his study, leaning on the wall, for quite a while. Once she had gotten there, she couldn't work up the courage to knock. There was no one there to protect her. What if this was what he had been waiting for? A situation in which the two of them would be alone and out of sight. Finally, she swallowed the lump in her throat and moved in front of the door to knock. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he opened it, however.

"I.." Tsage faltered. "Can we talk?" Drakkon still hadn't said a word, and moved aside to let her enter after a moment of contemplation. Words failed her as he looked to her expectantly, and she instantly regretted her decision to try and speak with him. "Are you alright?" She finally asked. "I haven't had a chance to talk to you since.." She trailed.

"I'm fine." Drakkon answered simply.

"It.. It wasn't really your claw.. Was it?" It was less of a question, and more a statement. She had grown to know Drakkon well enough to know he payed too much attention to detail for something like that to have happened. "What was it?"

"It doesn't matter. It's over."

"Well.. I just.." She paused, attempting to ease her way into the conversation she had meant to have. "It seems like, ever since that happened, you've been avoiding me. Was it something I caused?"

"It wasn't your fault." His answers remained short and slightly cold, which didn't help the pit in her stomach.

"Then.. Did I do something else?" At this, Drakkon sighed slightly, moving back to his desk and pulling out the familiar pipe.

"To put it simply.. I had a dream that made me re-evaluate things." He said. "You didn't do anything." Tsage gave a small, hesitant nod. That was why he had been avoiding her? A dream?

".. Can I know what the dream was about? Did it have something to do with.. With what happened?" She asked cautiously. "I'm sorry, never mind." She quickly said as Drakkon looked up to her.

"If I tell you something.. Can you keep it to yourself?" He asked, and she nodded, giving a look towards the door before moving to the desk and taking a seat opposite of him. "Remember the story I told you before? About my mother and Kil'sha?" Tsage nodded again. "After that, I spent months torturing him in the dungeons, and my mother eventually killed him. Ever since then, I've been having these.. Really strange dreams. It's always the same place, and he's always there. " He paused, watching her carefully. "For quite a while, all they were, were just bad dreams. Then, whenever I'd wake up from them, I'd have whatever wounds were inflicted on me during the dream."

"So.. That's what happened to you?" She asked, attempting not to appear like he sounded insane. He sat silent for a while, watching her.

"Which story is more believable?" He asked, raising a brow. "A simple mechanical malfunction, or a nightmare with the capability of killing you?" The look on her face must have given him his answer. "Exactly. So, stop trying to find some ulterior reasoning. It was a glitch that I have fixed, and it won't happen again."

"I'm sorry." She said. "I just couldn't believe that I wouldn;t have been hurt in something like that." He had been joking with her? What a morbid sense of humor.

"When you went to see your mother.. Did you tell her you would be going back?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I told her I would try to visit, but I understand if-"

"Go ahead." Drakkon interrupted. "Nothing is going on here, at the moment. You clearly need to get away for a while, anyway, if you actually believed that story I just told you."

"Alright.. Thank you." She smiled. "So, I'll leave tonight then?" Drakkon gave another short nod, then gestured to the door. She gave another quiet _thank you_ before rising from her seat and leaving the room.

Tsage wrestled with inner conflict as her drake glided gracefully through the air. It felt like everyone was counting on her. Anduin and her mother, the entirety of the Alliance, were counting on her to find out as much as she could about the scourge. However, Drakkon, Wolfe, Valeah, and everyone she had become friendly with at the citadel, they were counting on her, trusting her, to keep everything she knew a secret. As Theramore came looming into the distance, Tsage vowed to herself that she was going to end it. Hopefully her mother would understand.

Proudmoore smiled as Tsage and her drake came into view on the horizon. Proudmoore called for a guard to send news to Anduin in Stormwind before she moved to wait on the docks for Tsage to land. Drakkon paused in the air when he noticed Tsage's drake start to descend. He took a potion from his bag and gulped it down before landing his wyrm in the thick, swampy woods outside of the town. It took only a few moments before the potion took it's effect, causing Drakkon to fade into near invisibility. Without hesitation, he moved into the town. He spotted Tsage instantly, and maneuvered his way around civilians and structures until he was within hearing distance as she landed. As he noticed Tsage land and hug Proudmoore, he scowled, but remained back and unseen.

"Hello, dear." Proudmoore smiled. "I didn't expect you back so soon. Is everything alright? I've sent for Anduin."

"Everything is fine, mum. How have things been around here?" Drakkon waited, listening as the two chattered along. He needed something truly incriminating. Though the fact that Proudmoore was Tsage's mother made his blood boil, it wasn't enough to prove she was divulging secrets. They continued to talk for quite a while before horse hooves sounded behind Drakkon, and he moved aside as Anduin rode past. He reached the pair and dismounted, pulling Tsage into a hug.

"Things still going well, I hope?" Anduin asked, and Tsage nodded. "Good. Thanks to your efforts, we were able to locate what I believe to be the weak point those scouts were looking for." At this, Drakkon grit his teeth. "Did you happen to find out any plans of attack."

"No, I.." She paused. She couldn't just let them down like that. "Well... Wolfe has been talking about bringing scouts to Iron Forge for the same reason." She said. "But, I'm not sure when."

"Have you made it into any of those council meetings, yet?" Anduin asked.

"No, But Va.." She stopped herself from mentioning Valeah again. She didn't want the young elf dragged into it. "Someone told me they've been talking abou-" She was interrupted when large spell erupted in the middle of the three, knocking them back.

Anduin was the first back on his feet, and the first to see Drakkon. He wasted no time drawing his sword and rushing the mage. Drakkon simply teleported away, drawing frostmourne and immediately plunging it into the ground. It was like a mess of violet lightning scurrying quickly over the earth. In a matter of seconds, the ground shook, and many ghouls broke their way through to attack the guards who had run in to help. Tsage stayed frozen on the ground, horror struck and dumbfounded, while Proudmoore quickly scrambled to her feet to assist Anduin. Drakkon tore the blade from the ground as Anduin came back to attack, blocking and dodging his swings. The same sparks of electricity that Tsage had witnessed previously came from Drakkon's mechanical arm as he clashed swords with Anduin, and effectively electrocuted him a bit. In shock, Anduin jumped back, and Drakkon was ready to take advantage of it. However, as he swung, Proudmoore cast a spell that hit frostmourne, knocking it off course.

Drakkon snarled, turning quickly to cast a spell of his own at her. It clearly disoriented her, causing her to be unable to manifest her own spells. With this done, Drakkon swung his sword at Anduin, again. He brought his shield up just in time, using it to block the blow as well as protect himself from the electric shock that accompanied it. Knowing the mechanical arm was the source of said electricity, Anduin swung with the intent of breaking it. However, the metal was far too strong, and he only succeeded in earning himself another shock. The twisted, sadistic smirk that crawled onto Drakkon;s face, then, froze Tsage to the core. Drakkon chuckled at Anduin's efforts and swung quickly. Luckily, Anduin's heavy plate armor was able to protect him as he moved, causing frostmourne to hit his shoulder plates instead of his neck. Proudmoore, finally able to compose herself, sent a series of spells at Drakkon. Due to his focus on Anduin, the majority of the spells hit him. With a snarl of rage, Drakkon froze Anduin to the ground, teleporting directly in front of Proudmoore and taking a brutal swing. Tsage, finally snapping out of her daze, leapt over to snatch her mother's legs and make her fall out of the way of his attack.

That instant, she had his attention. The dark, crazed look in his eyes increased in hatred and anger when they fell on the rogue. He flipped frostmourne and drove it down. Tsage rolled out of the way, preventing the blade from piercing her chest, but receiving a deep gash in her arm in the process. Anduin jumped back into the fight as the ice trapping him broke, running at Drakkon and taking a hard swing. Drakkon took Frostmourne into his left hand, catching Anduin's blade in his mechanical right hand. With a simple twist of the wrist, the blade broke. Anduin took no time in dropping the broken sword and using his shield to block the onslaught of attacks that Drakkon administered, afterward.

It was then that Tsage knew what had to be done. She searched her bag quickly before pulling out a flask of bright, glowing green liquid. She used her dagger to prick a cut into her finger, letting the blood soak into the liquid before drenching her daggers with it. She ran forward, stealthing herself so Drakkon wouldn't be able to see her until it was too late to do anything about it. He immediately noticed that she was nowhere in sight, however, and sent out a ring of frost that moved across the ground quickly. Tsage jumped over it as she saw it, avoiding the spell and remaining unseen. Then, with breath held and heart racing, she rushed forward, taking a quick strike with her dagger at his mechanical arm. It pierced into it, and ate away the wiring within. As she skid to a halt a few feet away, there was one last spark before the arm was impaired, unable to create electricity. His eyes locked with hers in outrage, and caused her to quickly move backwards. Drakkon froze Anduin to the ground again and quickly closed the gap between he and Tsage in a few quick strides, swinging as he got close. Tsage blocked frostmourne with her daggers, but they didn't slice easily through it as they had to everything else. They seemed to melt into it a few inches, but frostmourne was far too strong to be broken that easily.

Noticing that their blades were slightly stuck together, Drakkon quickly turned his own, tearing the handles of Tsage's daggers from her hands. She was concerned when he took them in his grasp, then remembered the acid couldn;t hurt her. The panic returned, however, when Drakkon turned and chucked them at Anduin, who had recently broke free. While one missed, the other hit and stuck into his shoulder, causing him to immediately cry out in pain as the acid began to eat away at him. Anduin quickly took the handle to yank it out with a wince in order to prevent further damage. Tsage, prompted by her mother, attempted to run for a portal Proudmoore had made for escape. She got a few feet away from it before Drakkon death gripped her backwards though the air. He caught her by her throat with his mechanical hand, tightening it dangerously. Tsage struggled, kicking, clawing and squirming, doing everything she could to get him to drop her. It became abundantly clear very quickly, however, that Drakkon was far too determined for any of this to phase him. His goal at that point was nothing other than to kill her. If Anduin hadn't intervened when he did, Drakkon may have accomplished that goal. With a great deal of effort and a snarl of pain from his half disintegrated shoulder, Anduin knocked his shield heavily against Drakkon, making him drop Tsage and sending them both crashing to the ground. Due to the escape portal Proudmoore had made, not many guards had stayed. Therefor, ghouls left unengaged quickly jumped on Anduin. Drakkon teleported forward, lashing out with his sword just as Tsage made it to the portal. It caught her leg and made her fall with a yelp in surprise and pain. As Proudmoore attempted to help, more ghouls leapt in to attack and preoccupy her. With Anduin and Proudmoore sidetracked, Drakkon kicked Tsage hard enough to make her roll onto her back and took one final swing with frostmourne. Knowing well that she would die unless she thought quickly, Tsage ignored her pain and flipped herself, rolling backwards and diving directly into the portal her mother had created, just before it disappeared. Drakkon growled in anger. She had gotten away. He gave a look around to the town, Anduin, Proudmoore, and the few guards left alive still fighting off ghouls, before he called to his wyrm. As it rose into the air, Drakkon snarled an order and it turned . It let out a deafening roar, then breathed a large, steady stream of blue flames that cast the town ablaze before it turned to go back to the citadel.

"I want them all out!" Drakkon erupted as he came into the main room, catching everyone's attention instantly. "Every last one of them! Horde, alliance, I don't care! Drive them from Northrend and kill as many as you can!"

"Drak, wh-" Wolfe began, startled and confused.

"What!" Drakkon roared, turning on his brother. Seeing the wild rage in his eyes, Wolfe continued cautiously.

"What's this about? What happened?"

"What happened is that my incompetent fool of a brother convinced me it would be a great idea to let in an outsider!" Drakkon shouted. "She's been leaking information to the Alliance! And you, you over trusting, sorry excuse for a commander, gave her everything she needed!" Wolfe stood in shock and disbelief. "Now, I want those nosy, pushy, trigger-happy bastards pushed out of Northrend! "

"What about the council? Shouldn't we-"

"No! Fuck the council!" Drakkon snapped. "I want it done! Now!" At this, he cast a glare around the room. Without further argument or hesitation, the death knights obeyed, moving for the door. "Start with that damn floating city of theirs! Bring it down and leave no survivors!" Drakkon ordered, looking back to Wolfe, who was still standing in shock. "Go." He said menacingly, and Wolfe gave a sigh before following after the knights.

"What's happening?" Valeah's voice rose from the hallway, and Drakkon turned to see her standing with a concerned looking Silver. "I heard you yelling."

"Val.. Go to your room and I'll be in to talk to you in a minute." Drakkon tried, the rage ion his eyes fading substantially.

"But.. Where's everyone going?" She asked, then looked around the room. "Where's Tsage?"

"We'll talk about that when I get in there." He said. Valeah gave a worried look to Silver, who gave an unconvincing nod of comfort. Valeah seemed as though she wanted to argue, but she simply turned and walked back down the hallway.

"Drak... What the hell?" Silver breathed as she approached him.

"Tsage is Proudmoore's daughter." Drakkon said quietly, in case Valeah had hidden outside the room listening."Everything she learned, everything we told her.. She's been telling to Wrynn."

"How did you-"

"Dad told me I should follow her the next time she left." He answered her question before she even finished it. "So, now they know everything about us..." He paused, then finally looked her in the eye. "Do you get it now, Silver? Why I don't trust anyone?"

"Drak.. It doesn't mean you can't trust _anyone_..."

"Maybe not, but it's a hell of a lot easier and safer that way." Drakkon said. "Now.. I've got to go explain to my daughter where her _friend_ went."

"Do you want me to?" Silver tried.

"No." He shook his head. "It's something I have to do."

** I have a feeling I might get asked this in reviews.. So I'll just say it now. No, Anduin and Proudmoore are not dead. They were able to fight off the rest of the ghouls and Proudmoore took refuge in Stormwind while Theramore was rebuilt.**


End file.
